Application of enzyme immunoassay for postchemotherapy evaluation of human strongyloidiasis

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 1994 Jan;18(1):19-23. doi: 10.1016/0732-8893(94)90129-5.

Abstract

Posttherapy evaluation of strongyloidiasis is frequently difficult because coprologic examination is not sensitive enough for diagnosis of chronic infection. In the present study, anti-Strongyloides enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay antibodies were monitored before and after treatment with thiabendazole and pyrvinium pamoate in 199 patients with chronic strongyloidiasis in Okinawa, Japan. A significant decrease in antibody levels was observed in patients who became negative for fecal larvae after the treatment, whereas the antibody levels did not show a significant change after the treatment in patients who were still harboring the parasite. In the group coprologically negative in the follow-up examination, however, many individuals did not show a significant fall in antibody titers after treatment, which suggests that these cases were equivocal for complete cure. By the subsequent fecal reexamination performed on the equivocal cases, approximately 20% were additionally found to be still harboring the parasite. These results indicate that serologic testing is useful to check whether a real cure has been achieved among the patients in whose fecal samples the presence of larvae has not been demonstrated after treatment.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Animals
  • Anthelmintics / therapeutic use*
  • Antibodies, Helminth / blood*
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay*
  • Feces / parasitology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pyrvinium Compounds / therapeutic use
  • Strongyloides stercoralis / immunology*
  • Strongyloides stercoralis / isolation & purification
  • Strongyloidiasis / drug therapy*
  • Strongyloidiasis / immunology
  • Strongyloidiasis / parasitology
  • Thiabendazole / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Anthelmintics
  • Antibodies, Helminth
  • Pyrvinium Compounds
  • pyrvinium
  • Thiabendazole