title: Serum IgM. Does it relate to the level of chronicity in fascioliasis?
abstract: Serum IgM and IgG specific to human fascioliasis were reported to monitor prepatent and patent human infection respectively. Recently an assay measuring the antigen binding avidity of IgG antibodies was proved to be of value in identification of the stage of fascioliasis. The present study investigates the level of serum IgM in relation to avidity IgG, among acute and chronic Fasciola patients (using ELISA). Specific IgM antibody was detected in all acute and in 88% of chronic cases. IgM serum level was significantly higher in acute cases. IgG antibody was found in both acute and chronic cases but with no significant difference between the two groups. Regarding IgG avidity, it was found that acute cases had low IgG avidity index whereas chronic cases had significantly higher avidity. Four chronic patients had high IgM level and high IgG avidity. The egg counts as well were relatively high. The possibility of reinfection was considered in those cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Egypt.
authors.forename: A Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Shehab
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Allam
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: el-Sayad
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D000915:Antibody Affinity; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005209:Fasciola / Q000276:immunology*; D005211:Fascioliasis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood*; D010270:Parasite Egg Count
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M