Immunodiagnosis of Strongyloides stercoralis infections in Chile using an ELISA test Inmunodiagnóstico de las infecciones por Strongyloides stercoralis en Chile utilizando la prueba de ELISA

Background: Strongyloides stercoralis is a world wide distributed small intestinal nematode parasite. In immunocompetent individuals S stercoralis can produce asymptomatic infections or a moderate clinical picture of diarrhea, some cases become chronic. In immunocompromised patients, a disseminated-disease may appear, sometimes fatal. In Chile, there is little epidemiological information about S stercoralis infections and appropriate diagnostic techniques are usually not used. Aim: To evaluate the yield of an ELISA test for the diagnosis of strongyloidiasis in Chilean patients. Material and methods: Ten serum samples from patients with S stercoralis infections confirmed by a positive stool examination, 66 samples from individuals with other infections by tissue helminthes (24 toxocariasis, 15 trichinellosis, 11 hydatidosis, 12 fascioliasis and 4 cysticercosis), 13 samples from subjects with autoimmune diseases and 49 samples from apparently healthy individuals with a normal eosinophi