title: Evaluation of alkaline phosphatase immunoassay and comparison with other diagnostic methods in areas of low transmission of schistosomiasis.
abstract: The alkaline phosphatase immunoassay (APIA) is an antibody detection technique which permits the diagnosis of schistosomiasis using a butanolic extract preparation from adult worms. APIA has demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity in previous reports with well characterized human sera. Its potential as a diagnostic tool for epidemiological surveillance was assessed in comparison with three other diagnostic tests: stool examination, ELISA with soluble egg antigen (SEA) and the circumoval precipitin test (COPT). APIA was 100% specific in an area without Schistosoma mansoni transmission and had 89% sensitivity in an endemic area where 69% of the infected subjects excreted less than 100 eggs g of faeces. It was found to be less sensitive in children under 5 years of age who were positive by the COPT test. APIA can be applied as an initial screening test, based on its high sensitivity, specificity, absence of cross-reactivity with intestinal parasites and the fact that it is a technique suitable for use in epidemiological surveillance.
authors.affiliation: Sección de Biohelmintiasis, Universidád Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela. alarcon@dino.conicit.ve
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Alarcón de Noya
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Cesari
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Losada
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colmenares
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Balzán
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoebeke
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Noya
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology; D014687:Venezuela
chemical_list: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase