Use of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in intestinal and extra-intestinal amoebiasis (amoebic liver abscess)

The sera of patients with amoebic liver abscess, intestinal amoebiasis and non-specific hepatomegaly were examined for the presence of antibodies to Entamoeba histolytica antigen by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All the amoebic liver abscess sera were strongly positive. The test was also positive in all the proved cases of intestinal amoebiasis but the ELISA values were relatively slightly lower. Nine of 10 cases of non-specific hepatomegaly with stools negative for E. histolytica gave positive results with ELISA. The IHA titre in all but one of the non-specific hepatomegaly cases was within normal value.