# name
Accuracy of Five Serologic Tests for the Follow up of Strongyloides stercoralis Infection

# metadata.dc.description.abstract[].value
BACKGROUND: Traditional faecal-based methods have poor
                sensitivity for the detection of S. stercoralis, therefore are
                inadequate for post-treatment evaluation of infected patients
                who should be carefully monitored to exclude the persistence of
                the infection. In a previous study, we demonstrated high
                accuracy of five serology tests for the screening and diagnosis
                of strongyloidiasis. Aim of this study is to evaluate the
                performance of the same five tests for the follow up of patients
                infected with S. stercoralis. METHODS: Retrospective study on
                anonymized, cryo-preserved samples available at the Centre for
                Tropical Diseases (Negrar, Verona, Italy). Samples were
                collected before and from 3 to 12 months after treatment. The
                samples were tested with two commercially-available ELISA tests
                (IVD, Bordier), two techniques based on a recombinant antigen
                (NIE-ELISA and NIE-LIPS) and one in-house IFAT. The results of
                each test were evaluated both in relation to the results of
                fecal examination and to those of a composite reference standard
                (classifying as positive a sample with positive stools and/or at
                least three positive serology tests). The associations between
                the independent variables age and time and the dependent
                variable value of serological test (for all five tests), were
                analyzed by linear mixed-effects regression model. RESULTS: A
                high proportion of samples demonstrated for each test a
                seroreversion or a relevant decline (optical density/relative
                light units halved or decrease of at least two titers for IFAT)
                at follow up, results confirmed by the linear mixed effects
                model that showed a trend to seroreversion over time for all
                tests. In particular, IVD-ELISA (almost 90% samples demonstrated
                relevant decline) and IFAT (almost 87%) had the best
                performance. Considering only samples with a complete
                negativization, NIE-ELISA showed the best performance (72.5%
                seroreversion). CONCLUSIONS: Serology is useful for the follow
                up of patients infected with S. stercoralis and determining test
                of cure.

# metadata.dc.relation.ispartof[].value
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2015, vol. 9, num. 2, p. e0003491

# metadata.dc.source[].value
Articles publicats en revistes (Medicina)

# metadata.dc.title[].value
Accuracy of Five Serologic Tests for the Follow up of Strongyloides stercoralis Infection