title: Quantitative assessment of serum-specific IgE in the diagnosis of human cystic echinococcosis.
abstract: Anti-Echinococcus serum immunoglobulin (Ig)E was assessed by the ImmunoCAP system and compared with anti-Echinococcus serum IgG assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot. The ImmunoCAP system revealed very high specificity (one false positive of 110 healthy individuals), low cross-reactivity (one false positive of 58 patients with other diseases) and decreased sensitivity (73.55%). Receiver operating characteristic analysis displayed a beneficial diagnostic value with high accuracy. Comparison of the ImmunoCAP system with ELISA and Western blot showed significantly higher specificity and significantly lower cross-reactivity compared with the ELISA. Examination of sera from 155 patients with cystic echinococcosis (CE) showed varying levels of anti-Echinococcus IgE (range, 0.01-118.33 kUA/L). However, most samples had moderately elevated IgE levels. Analysis of serum-specific IgE revealed significantly higher sensitivity of the ImmunoCAP system and significantly higher antibody levels in hepatic CE compared with pulmonary CE.
authors.affiliation: National Centre of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia, Bulgaria. marinova1234@gmail.com
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marinova
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nikolov
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Michova
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kurdova
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Petrunov
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004446:Echinococcus / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010274:Parasitology / Q000379:methods*; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D007073:Immunoglobulin E