Investigation of giardiosis seroprevalence by indrect immunofluorescent assay in Elazığ

52 Vn. SUMMARY The aim of this study was to determine the giardiasis seroprevalence. For this purpose, both G. intestinalis cyst and trophozoite antigen specific antibodies either in IgG or IgM class were analysed in irnmunoflourescent antibody assay. A total of 304 serum samples obtained from subjects applied to Fırat Medical Center Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Laboratory was used in the study. Subjects had complaints of various diseases. Ages of the subjects ranged from 0 to 79 (mean 27+ 15). In IF A, G. intestinalis cyst purified from the stools of giardiasis patients and trophozoite obtained from small intestines of experimentally infected mice were used as antigen. Serum samples were diluted to 1/32, 1/64, 1/128 and 1/256. Serum from healthy subjects and PBS were used as negative control and as positive control serum from giardiasis patients with predetermined seropositivity was used. The number of seropositive samples against cyst antigens were as follow, IgG 79 (26.0 %), IgM 45 (14.8 %), and IgG plus IgM 30 (10.8 %). The number of samples which were seropositive against trophozoite antigens were 54 for IgG (17.7 %), 54 for IgM (17.7 %) and 30 for IgG plus IgM (9.8 %). In 18 case (5.9 %), IgG plus IgM were detected against both cyst and trophozoite antigens. IgG seropoşitiyity was 21.3 % (65 samples). IgG "/ seropositivity was higher than that of IgM seropositivity for both antibodies53 classes was noticed in the subject again 7 to 15. There was no statistically significant difference between age groups interns of IgG class. However, IgM seropositivity in samples from 7-15 age group subjects was significantly higher than in samples form subjects 0-6 and over 26 years old (p<0.05). When the presence of either IgG or IgM class antibodies against either of the antigens is considered as seropositivity, 104 samples (34.5 %) were classified as seropositive, and the highest seropositivity was noticed in samples from 7-15 age group. Seropositivity in 7-15 age group compared to the samples from subjects over 26 years old was significantly higher (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in subjects according to the gender, living place and educational status (p>0.05). However, the seropositivity increased as the number of people with whom the subject lived together increased (p<0.05). Furthermore in subjects using toilets connected to city savage system, seropositivity was significantly lower (p<0.05). In this study, seroprevalence of giardiasis in Elazig region, and some of the factors which might influence the seroprevalence were determined. This study represents one of the first studies performed in this region in terms of methodology and content. Similar studies carried out in different communities in the general population might help devise new strategies for controlling giardiasis.