Immunodiagnostic tests for protozoan and helminthic infections

Immunodiagnostic tests for human protozoan and helminthic infections are reviewed. The need for immunodiagnostic tests varies with each infection but is of paramount importance in those infections that cannot be parasitologically diagnosed readily such as toxoplasmosis, pneumocystosis, Chagas' disease, trichinosis, hydatidosis, cysticercosis, and visceral larva migrans. Immunoassays are also needed for those worldwide highly prevalent infections with severe morbidity to be used in seroepidemiology and in the follow-up evaluation of control programs. The most important are malaria, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, and trypanosomiasis. Major advances have been made in the use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) as a practical and rapid test for use in endemic countries and in the identification and isolation of diagnostic parasite antigens aided in particular by the use of monoclonal antibodies. Development of immunodiagnostic tests for specific parasite antigens in body fluids for many infections is being actively pursued.