Study of human Entamoeba histolytica infection by zymodeme, indirect hemagglutination and electroimmunotransfer blot assays.

Human amebiasis is a parasitic infection which involves asymptomatic as well as intestinal and extraintestinal symptomatic stages in individuals harbouring Entamoeba histolytica. Several factors have been proposed to explain the variability in the outcome of the disease. Among these are differences in virulence of E. histolytica strains and methods such as zymodeme analysis have been used to differentiate invasive from non invasive strains of this parasite (Sargeaunt and Williams, 1978). In order to establish a possible correlation between zymodeme analysis and serological data in human cases of amebiasis, a cross-sectional epidemiological study was carried out in the community area of Cadereyta, State of Queretaro, Mexico. In this study, fecal and serum samples from individuals were also tested by Indirect Hemagglutination assay (IHA) to determine antibody titre and by a standardized Electroimmunotransfer blot assay (EITB) for recognition of E. histolytica specific antigens. Zymodemes were determined in a total of 81 samples. Of these, 27 had a pathogen zymodeme (PZ) while 54 had a non pathogen zymodeme (NPZ). Values obtained by IHA varied from negative to titres up to 1:256 in serum samples tested. Reactivity to E. histolytica antigens determined by EITB was observed in all sera. Patterns of antigen recognition were complex and showed reactivity to several parasite molecules. Among these, components with M. Wt. of 165, 119, and doublets of 98-100 and 50-52 Kd were more frequently recognized by antibodies present in the sera tested. In general, antibody titres detected by IHA did not showed a direct correlation with zymodeme analysis. Samples with PZ or NPZ had similar variable levels of reactivity to E. histolytica antigens.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)