title: Critical points in the immunodiagnosis of cystic echinococcosis in humans.
abstract: This study discusses the immunodiagnosis of cystic echinococcosis (ce, caused by Echinococcus granulosus). The detection by immunoblotting of antibodies specific for the 8 kDa subunit of antigen B and in particular the IgG4 subclass expression, seems the most promising serodiagnostic tool. Despite the development of molecular methods, nowadays there is no standard, highly sensitive, and specific test available for antibody detection in CE. Furthermore, because serological tests can give only a limited support to clinical findings there is a clear need for new advances in immunodiagnosis of E. granulosus infection.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie e Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, Italy. siracusano@iss.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siracusano
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Buttari
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Delunardo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Profumo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Margutti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ortona
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Riganò
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Teggi
mesh_terms: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D048209:Echinococcus granulosus / Q000276:immunology; D048210:Echinococcus multilocularis / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D007159:Immunologic Tests / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D007074:Immunoglobulin G