Long-term Persistence of Opisthorchis viverrini Antigen in Urine: A Prospective Study in Northeast Thailand

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2022 Dec 26;108(2):356-358. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.22-0478. Print 2023 Feb 1.

Abstract

Antigen detected in urine for the diagnosis of opisthorchiasis has a low daily variation; however, the longer term variability in antigen concentrations is unknown. In this study, we prospectively monitored Opisthorchis viverrini antigen concentrations for 30 consecutive days and at subsequent monthly intervals in a cohort of opisthorchiasis-positive individuals. On the basis of the monoclonal antibody-based ELISA, the profiles of antigen-positive rate and antigen concentration exhibited no significant change over 30 days with a mean proportion positive of 87.1% (range 73.7%-100%), and the average antigen concentration was 29.7 ± 2.2 ng/mL (mean ± SE). The urine antigen concentration at baseline was similar to the subsequent measurements at 2, 4, 6, and 10 months in the follow-up study (P > 0.05). The consistency and low daily and long-term fluctuation of O. viverrini antigen in urine demonstrates the reliability of urine assay for diagnosis of opisthorchiasis.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Opisthorchiasis* / diagnosis
  • Opisthorchiasis* / epidemiology
  • Opisthorchis*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Thailand / epidemiology