Skip Navigation

Journal of Tropical Pediatrics 2004 50(2):68-72; doi:10.1093/tropej/50.2.68
© 2004 by Oxford University Press
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (1)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Rodríguez, O. L.
Right arrow Articles by Di Prisco, M. C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Rodríguez, O. L.
Right arrow Articles by Di Prisco, M. C.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Secretory IgA Antibody Responses in Venezuelan Children Infected with Giardia duodenalis

Orquídea L. Rodríguez1,*, Isabel Hagel1,*, Yovana González1, María Elena Roque1, Nelson Vásquez1, Elianska López1 and María Cristina Di Prisco1

1 Institute of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Central University of Venezuela,Venezuela

We standardized and evaluated an ELISA technique for the detection of total and specific anti-Giardia duodenalis secretory IgA antibodies (slgA). Samples of saliva and serum of 161 Venezuelan schoolchildren were analysed. After stool examination, 66 children were diagnosed to be infected with Giardia duodenalis, 22 with other protozoa, and 73 non-parasitized. The mean (+ 2 SD) values of secretory IgA in the non-parasitized group was considered as the criterion of positivity. The levels of total and specific anti-Giardia slgA were significantly higher in children with Giardia compared with the group with other protozoa (p < 0.01) and the non-parasitized group (p < 0.001). The ELISA technique developed showed values of sensitivity and specificity of 74 and 94 per cent, respectively, a predictive value of 92 per cent for positive samples and 80 per cent for negative samples. Specific anti-Giardia IgA serum levels showed a low sensitivity (57 per cent) and a predictive value for negative samples (53 per cent). Our results suggest that secretory anti-Giardia IgA levels measured in saliva samples may reflect local intestinal IgA responses elicited by these parasites. Thus, determinations of the levels of slgA anti-Giardia could be a useful diagnostic tool for giardiasis in children.

* Correspondence: Tel. +58-212-860 70 95; Fax +58-212-861 55 30. E-mail <orquileo{at}hotmail.com; ihagel{at}telcel.net.ve>.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.