Two groups of Schistosoma japonicum infected
patients (acute and chronic ) and non-infected individuals
were studied using IgA antibody to egg antigen (SEA) and IgG
and IgM antibodies to keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH). The
means and standard deviation of the optical density in ELISA
of acute, chronic and negative groups for IgA anti-SEA were
583+/-124.7, 98.2+/-78.8 and 82.2+/-39. 3, respectively.
There was a statistically significance between acute patients
and chronic patients (P{0.01). The means and standard
deviation of IgG and IgM antibodies to KLH were 501.5+/-150.6,
113.0+/-79.1, 28.8+/-56.3 and 413.6+/-148.5, 70.2+/-14.8,
65.3+/-45.3, respectively. The detection results of IgA to
SEA compared with the IgG and IgM to KLH did not demonstrate
a significant difference (P}0.01). The sensitivities of IgA to
SEA and IgG and IgM antibodies to KLH for the detection of
acute infection were 95.24%, 90.48% and 85.71%, respectively.
Therefore, this study showed that the detection of IgA to
SEA is also a useful new method for the serological
differentiation of acute and chronic schistosomiasis
japonica in humans.
