Wartość diagnostyczna testów wykrywających swoiste przeciwciała Giardia

Two commercial faecal antigen tests, based on Giardia specific antigens, were compared with traditional microscopical examination of faeces in 40 clinical patients, including 14 patients with a confirmed Giardia infection as well as in a survey among 96 children in four day care centers. The results obtained with these faecal antigen tests were not much better than by using traditional microscopy by a well trained parasitologist. Specific Giardia antigen (GSA 65) has been still detected in faeces up to day 4th after treatment of giardiosis, when microscopical examination of faeces was already for a few days negative. The Giardia antigen detection test was not very useful in examining the unconcentrated duodenal content.