title: Total and specific IgE levels in human hydatid disease determined by enzyme-immunoassay. I. Preoperative levels.
abstract: The levels of total IgE and specific IgE in preoperative sera from 29 adult patients with surgically confirmed hydatidosis were studied by means of enzyme-immunoassay. Sera from 88 healthy donors were likewise studied. Findings showed that in the majority of the hydatidosis cases there was an increase of specific IgE and total IgE although individual variance was significant. Determination of total IgE as the only serological diagnostic test is not valid, since 27.5% of patients showed a total IgE level within normal values. Moreover, the determination of specific IgE has more diagnostic value than that of total IgE although it must be taken into account that in 7% of human hydatidosis cases there are no detectable levels of anti-Echinococcus IgE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Abril
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Guisantes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000032:analysis*; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D007073:Immunoglobulin E