Entamoeba histolytica: antibody response to recent and past invasive events

Sero-epidemiological data from endemic amoebiasis areas are difficult to evaluate because the serology of individuals affected by an active process of Entamoeba histolytica tissue invasion is, at present, almost impossible to distinguish from that of individuals who have had an invasive event in the past. The present study compares serum antigenic recognition frequencies among three groups of individuals with different infective conditions: amoebic liver abscess patients; asymptomatic cyst passers; and individuals who have had amoebic liver abscess from one to three years before the study. Control groups consisted of Mexican and Canadian healthy adults. Western blots of E. histolytica membrane extract antigen were reacted with sera from the studied individuals, recognition frequency values were calculated and immunoplots of frequency differences were constructed. The results obtained suggest that the identification and purification of antigenic fractions, which are frequently recognized by sera of amoebic liver abscess patients (136, 132, 93, 70 and 62 kDa), or preferentially associated with past invasive events (144, 140 and 49 kDa), or related to the E. histolytica cyst passer condition (62 and 136 kDa), are important improvements in the use of serology for diagnosis and epidemiological studies in endemic areas of amoebiasis.