Detection of antibodies by enzyme-immunoassay in human schistosoma mansoni infections: a clinical and chemotherapeutic study.

Sera from patients with S. mansoni infections, before and six weeks after successful treatment with hycanthone, were examined for antibodies reacting with S. mansoni adult worm antigen, employing the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. 50 local individuals who had no schistosomiasis and 48 patients with S. haematobium infection were studied for comparison. All sera from untreated patients gave positive results. Significantly higher levels of antibody were given by sera from patients with visceral enlargement than by those from patients without visceral enlargement. A rise in antibody levels was seen in 87% of treated patients and the post treatment values of antibody were significantly higher than those obtained before treatment (p less than 0.001). 94% of sera from patients with S. haematobium infection gave a cross-reaction but with a significantly lower antibody values than for the homologous infection. A weakly positive reaction was obtained in 16% of controls and the actual values of antibody were much lower in this group than in the S. mansoni and S. haematobium groups.