Development of circulating antigen assay for rapid detection of acute schistosomiasis.
A circulating antigen assay to detect acute schistosomiasis mansoni in experimentally infected mice has been developed. The competitive-inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay uses rabbit serum prepared against purified cercarial antigen. The assay detects a 100-worm infection as early as 1 week after exposure; circulating antigen levels in mouse serum exceeded 0.1 microgram/ml. Preliminary characterisation of the cercarial antigen shows that it is a hydrophobic polypeptide of approximate molecular weight 41,000. A rapid and accurate diagnosis of acute schistosomiasis in travellers would facilitate appropriate chemotherapy before the onset of pathology. A circulating antigen assay would also be valuable for seroepidemiological studies in areas where the disease is endemic.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000032:analysis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D051379:Mice; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012698:Serologic Tests
D000947:Antigens, Helminth