[Contributions to the immunodiagnosis of echinococcosis (author's transl)]

Abstract

Serum samples of 49 patients with echinococcosis, 32 of whom were diagnosed parasitologically (demonstration of protoscolices) and 17 of whom were diagnosed clinically (scintigram, histology), were examined for the presence of antibodies. The control group included sera from 74 patients with liver disease and tumors, 10 sera from blood donors, and 1330 sera for which serological tests for echinococcosis had been requested. The antigens used were two types of hydatid fluid, and aqueous extract from E. multilocularis cyst material, and protoscolices from E. granulosus and E. multilocularis. The results showed that the indirect immunofluorescence test with vital protoscolices was the most specific reaction whereas the indirect hemagglutination test with hydatid fluid and the extract from E. multilocularis was the most sensitive reaction. The latex turned out to be the least specific of the methods used. The sensitivity and specificity of our own results are compared with those of other investigators to emphasize the limitations of the immunodiagnosis of echinococcosis.