Application of serological procedures in the diagnosis of invasive amebiasis.

Invasive amebiasis in man may lead to colonic ulcerations, bloody dysentery and subsequent involvement of internal organs, specially amebic liver abscess. On account of technical difficulties in detecting the presence of the parasites in routine stool examinations, serological techniques have been developed to help establish the diagnosis of amebiasis. The study aimed to determine the incidence of probable invasive amebiasis in 15 symptomatic patients by the Indirect Hemagglutination Test (IHAT), Agal Gel Diffusion Test (AGDT), and Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test (IFAT). Thirteen out of 15 patients showed significant antibody titers and were probably infected with tissue-invading strains of E. histolytica (despite negative stool examination in two of them), and should be considered for radical treatment with appropriate amebicidal drugs. These observations should nonetheless be substantiated by thorough physical and clinical assessments of the patients conditions. (Abstract)


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