Specific IgG activity of sera from Egyptian schistosomiasis patients to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH)

Here, we report that 51 out of 68 sera (75%) from Egyptian patients with acute or chronic schistosomiasis (Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium ) showed significant anti-KLH antibody titers in ELISA. Previous data predict a higher score, but we applied purified KLH instead of the commercially available crude material, and exclusively focused on IgG activity, because KLH is rather susceptible to low-affinity preimmune IgM binding. Although all the German controls were negative, three of the Egyptian controls were significantly reactive which might indicate an unnoticed, former infection. The local vector snails are Biomphalaria alexandrina and Bullinus truncatus .