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Antibody Response in Children Infected with Giardia intestinalis before and after Treatment with Secnidazole

We examined 364 school children for intestinal parasites in a sub-urban zone of Caracas, Venezuela. Giardia intestinalis was the most prevalent parasite in stool samples from 34 children. Levels of IgA and IgG antibodies to G. intestinalis were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot before and after treatment with secnidazole. All patients were cured with a reduction of IgA antibody levels in 26 of 34 children and a reduction in IgG-specific antibody levels in 18 of 34 children. Serum of infected patients reacted with proteins of 14 kD to 137 kD. Some patients did not show a change in IgA serum reactivity for parasite proteins by Western blot after treatment. Seventeen children showed reduction of the reactivity or disappearance of protein reactivity (mainly the 14-kD, 122-kD, and 137-kD proteins). Antibody response was not related to clinical status, but quantitative and qualitative serum antibody response against G. intestinalis infection could be used to assess levels of new protein markers that decrease or disappear with successful chemotherapy.

Received October 27, 2007. Accepted for publication June 25, 2008.

Financial support: This study was supported by the Ecology of Pathogenic Eukaryotic Microorganisms Project (EA-3609, Lille, 2 University, and Institue for Food Research 142), and The Programa de Promoción al Investigador del Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología, Venezuela.

^* Address correspondence to Juan C. Jiménez, Laboratory of Immunopathology, Institute of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Central University of Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela. E-mail: jcjimenez488{at}hotmail.com

Authors’ addresses: Juan C. Jiménez, Laboratory of Immunopathology, Institute of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Central University of Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela and EA3609 Parasitology-Mycology Service, Faculty of Medicine, Lille 2 University, University Hospital Centre and Federative Research Institute 142, Lille Pasteur Institute, Lille, France. Anthony Pinon, Predictive Microbiology Service, Centre Européen de Recherches sur l’Eau, l’Environnement, l’Aliment et la Toxicologie, Lille Pasteur Institute, Lille, France. Daniel Dive and Monique Capron, Institute National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unite 547–Schistosomiasis, Malaria and Inflammation, Lille Pasteur Institute, 1 Rue du Professor-Calmette BP245, 59019 Lille, France. Eduardo Dei-Cas, EA3609 Parasitology-Mycology Service, Faculty of Medicine, Lille 2 University, University Hospital Centre and Institute for Research Institute 142, Lille Pasteur Institute, Lille, France. Jacinto Convit, Laboratory of Immunopathology, Institute of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Central University of Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela.