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Community Rates of IgG4 Antibodies to Ascaris Haemoglobin Reflect Changes in Community Egg Loads Following Mass Drug Administration
- Source :
- PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol 10, Iss 3, p e0004532 (2016), PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 10(3)
- Publication Year :
- 2016
- Publisher :
- Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2016.
-
Abstract
- Background Conventional diagnostic methods for human ascariasis are based on the detection of Ascaris lumbricoides eggs in stool samples. However, studies of ascariasis in pigs have shown that the prevalence and the number of eggs detected in the stool do not correlate well with exposure of the herd to the parasite. On the other hand, an ELISA test measuring antibodies to Ascaris suum haemoglobin (AsHb) has been shown to be useful for estimating transmission intensity on pig farms. In this study, we further characterized the AsHb antigen and screened samples from a population-based study conducted in an area that is endemic for Ascaris lumbricoides in Indonesia to assess changes in AsHb antibody rates and levels in humans following mass drug administration (MDA). Methodology/Principal findings We developed and evaluated an ELISA to detect human IgG4 antibodies to AsHb. We tested 1066 plasma samples collected at different times from 599 subjects who lived in a village in rural Indonesia that was highly endemic for ascariasis. The community received 6 rounds of MDA for lymphatic filariasis with albendazole plus diethylcarbamazine between 2002 and 2007. While the AsHb antibody assay was not sensitive for detecting all individuals with Ascaris eggs in their stools, the percentage of seropositive individuals decreased rapidly following MDA. Reductions in antibody rates reflected decreased mean egg output per person both at the community level and in different age groups. Two years after the last round of MDA the community egg output and antibody prevalence rate were reduced by 81.6% and 78.9% respectively compared to baseline levels. Conclusion/Significance IgG4 antibody levels to AsHb appear to reflect recent exposure to Ascaris. The antibody prevalence rate may be a useful indicator for Ascaris transmission intensity in communities that can be used to assess the impact of control measures on the force of transmission.<br />Author Summary Ascariasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by the intestinal nematode Ascaris lumbricoides that affects hundreds of millions of people in the developing world. Current methods for diagnosis of this infection are based on detecting eggs in the stool that are excreted by adult Ascaris worms. However, these methods have limited sensitivity for recent infections, and they do not detect infections with immature parasite stages that do not always result in the establishment of adult worms in the human intestine. We have previously shown that an assay for antibodies to Ascaris hemoglobin in pig serum is useful for assessing transmission of Ascaris infections on pig farms. In this study, we developed and evaluated a similar antibody assay that is based on the detection of human IgG4 antibodies to Ascaris haemoglobin (AsHb). Community antibody rates decreased rapidly following mass drug administration of the anthelmintic drug albendazole, and this decrease reflected reduced Ascaris egg excretion at the community level. This antibody test may be a useful tool for assessing the impact of control measures on the transmission of new Ascaris infections in endemic populations.
- Subjects :
- 0301 basic medicine
Ascaris Lumbricoides
Veterinary medicine
Nematoda
Physiology
IMPACT
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Biochemistry
Feces
Hemoglobins
0302 clinical medicine
Immune Physiology
Ascariasis
Medicine and Health Sciences
Parasite Egg Count
Diethylcarbamazine
Peptide-N4-(N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminyl) Asparagine Amidase
PIGS
Cloning, Molecular
Enzyme-Linked Immunoassays
Anthelmintics
education.field_of_study
Immune System Proteins
lcsh:Public aspects of medicine
Ascaris
HUMANS
Hematology
DNA, Helminth
Body Fluids
Blood
Serology
Infectious Diseases
Helminth Infections
Anatomy
Ascaris lumbricoides
Research Article
medicine.drug
EXPRESSION
LUMBRICOIDES
DNA, Complementary
lcsh:Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine
lcsh:RC955-962
Blotting, Western
Immunology
030231 tropical medicine
Population
Antibodies, Helminth
Biology
Albendazole
Research and Analysis Methods
Antibodies
Blood Plasma
SERODIAGNOSIS
03 medical and health sciences
GLYCOMIC ANALYSIS
Polysaccharides
TRANSMITTED HELMINTH INFECTIONS
Parasitic Diseases
medicine
Animals
Humans
Adults
SEROPOSITIVITY
Immunoassays
education
Ascaris suum
Ovum
SUUM HEMOGLOBIN
Organisms
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Biology and Life Sciences
Proteins
lcsh:RA1-1270
biology.organism_classification
medicine.disease
Invertebrates
030104 developmental biology
Age Groups
Immunoglobulin G
People and Places
Immunologic Techniques
Population Groupings
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 19352735 and 19352727
- Volume :
- 10
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....8c7317c1dbb1715a4e98a41dcfbde53f