IMMUNODIAGNOSIS OF SCHISTOSOMA-JAPONICUM INFECTION IN CHINA

Diagnosis is an essential prerequisite for the control programs of sch istosomiasis. Chinese scientists have been making efforts for decades towards the development of immunological approach in an attempt to off er alternatives of or supplements to parasitological diagnosis. The au thors outline briefly the main advances in the research of immunodiagn osis for schistosomiasis japonica in China in two catalogues: antibody detection and antigen detection. A number of immunodiagnostic assays based on antibody detection, which have been used widely in the contro l programs in China, are appraised in terms of sensitivity and specifi city, and the achievements in the development of immunodiagnostic assa ys based on antigen detection are introduced. Readers will find some i nformation concerning the efforts so far made by Chinese scientists in the improvement of immunodiagnosis by use of molecular approach, incl uding search for biochemically and/or immunochemically isolated and/or purified antigens, recombinant antigens and anti idiotypic reagents o f diagnostic interest to construct defined antigen-antibody systems fo r diagnosis, and development of monoclonal antibody-based assays for a ntibody or antigen detections.