Eighty Egyptian children infected with active Schistosoma haematobium were examined to detect specific circulating schistosomal immune complexes (CIC). Indirect ELISA assay using monoclonal antibody 128C3/21/3 as a coating antibody was used. Based on the parasitological findings, two age matched control groups from the same rural area were selected; 15 children infected with other parasites but not Schistosoma were included as infected controls and 15 apparently healthy children were included as normal controls. Seventy actively infected cases had positive circulating immune complex levels yielding a test sensitivity of 87.5%. All of the normal control group had negative CIC levels, whereas 1 case infected with fasciola had a positive CIC level yielding 69.6% specificity test. Cases with CIC positive levels were found more (97.5%) among heavily infected group (those excreting >50 eggs/10 ml of urine) than those with light infections ( |
