1Magda E Azab, 2Maimona E Bakr, 2Nashaat E Nassef, 1†Hesham M Hussein, 3Kesmat M Maher and 2Wafaa El-Kersh.
Departments of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, 1Ain
Shams and 2Menoufiya Universities and Department of
Immunology, 3Theodor Bilharz Institute.
This study aimed to evaluate the validity of the techniques used for serological diagnosis of hydatid disease: indirect haemagglutination test (IHA), enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), counter immunoelectrophoresis (CIEP) and detection of circulating antigens by double sandwich ELISA. In addition, the possibility of cross reactivity with schistosomiasis, fascioliasis and cancer; and the role of natural anti- P antibodies were examined. To achieve these objectives, 45 cases of confirmed hydatidosis, 25 schistosomiasis, 25 fascioliasis, 50 cancer and 15 healthy control individuals were chosen. The results revealed that for antibody detection, ELISA was a better test for initial screening of suspected cases of hydatidosis as it gave a better diagnostic efficacy (98.3%) than IHA (91.7%), CIEP (88.3%) and double sandwich ELISA for circulating antigens detection (84.3%). On the other hand, IHA was a better confirmatory test than CIEP, double sandwich ELISA for circulating antigen and ELISA, as the cross reactivites were 4%, 8%, 19% and 28% respectively. While, natural anti-P1 antibodies in P2 blood group cases did not affect the validity of the immunodiagnostic tests used in diagnosis of hydatidosis, it was found to be associated with cross reactivity of hydatidosis with schistosomiasis, fascioliasis and cancer.
† Corresponding Author.
Mailing address: Parasitology department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University,
Phone: 4401380.