Enzyme immunoassays for parasitic diseases

Abstract

It is only in recent years that serology has come to play a major role in parasitic diseases. At first complement fixation was most used but gradually more convenient and sensitive techniques such as gel precipitation (DRAPER, 1976), and agglutination methods (KAGAN, 1974) were introduced. Probably the serological test most used by parasitologists has been immunofluorescence, particularly the indirect fluorescent antibody method (KAGAN, 1974; AMBROISE-THOMAS, 1976). Certain factors must be taken into consideration when assessing the usefulness of serological methods for parasitic diseases. The major parasitoses such as malaria, schistosomiasis, trypanosomiasis, infect millions of people in poor areas of the world where technical expertise is, at present, very limited. In these areas serological methods can be of most use in establishing epidemiological indices and for monitoring disease control programmes. Tests for use in such areas should be suitable for mass screening, should be simple and cheap, and .the results should be available quickly. Under these conditions some degree of precision may have to be sacrificed in the interests of practicability. There is also a place for more sophisticated methods suitable for individual diagnosis of parasitic infections especially in the more privileged areas of the world. We feel that enzyme-immunoassays, especially the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, have a part to play in both the above situations.