SPECIFICITY OF THE SOLID-PHASE ALKALINE-PHOSPHATASE IMMUNOCAPTURE ASSAY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF HUMAN SCHISTOSOMA-MANSONI INFECTION

The species specificity of the solid phase alkaline phosphatase immuno capture assay (APIA) for the immunological detection of human immunogl obulin G antibodies to the alkaline phosphatase of adult Schistosoma m ansoni was evaluated. Sera from schistosomiasis patients from South Am erica, West Africa, south-east Asia and uninfected control subjects we re compared. Only the sera of patients infected with S. mansoni gave p ositive results. There was no apparent difference between 2 population s infected with S. mansoni, one from South America and the other from West Africa. The results with sera from various regions of West Africa were also indistinguishable. Although the APIA was not able to discri minate the geographical origin of the S. mansoni-infected subjects, th e method appeared to be specific for S. mansoni and suitable for use i n the immunodiagnosis of schistosomiasis mansoni, particularly in ende mic areas where mixed infections of Schistosoma spp. occur.