Urine-based ELISA for non-invasive diagnosis of urogenital schistosomiasis: a promising tool for resource-limited regions

Bibliographic Information
Authors: Oriade T.O.; Sulaiman K.A.; Auta T.; Afolayan F.I.D.; Odaibo A.B.; Grenfell R.F.Q.; Fatem R.G.; Oyeyemi O.T.
Journal: Folia Microbiologica
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media B.V.
Publication Date: 2 June 2025
Volume / Issue: Volume 71 / Issue 2
Pages: 461–470
ISSN: 155632
DOI: 10.1007/s12223-025-01278-0
Scopus: View on Scopus
PubMed: 40457164
Document Type: Article
Authors and Affiliations
Oriade T.O., Tropical Medicine & Diagnostics Development Group, Seeding Graduate Lab, Department of Biosciences and Biotechnology, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State, Ondo, Nigeria; Sulaiman K.A., Tropical Medicine & Diagnostics Development Group, Seeding Graduate Lab, Department of Biosciences and Biotechnology, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State, Ondo, Nigeria; Auta T., Department of Biological Sciences, Federal University Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State, Nigeria; Afolayan F.I.D., Department of Zoology, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Ibadan, Nigeria; Odaibo A.B., Department of Zoology, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Ibadan, Nigeria; Grenfell R.F.Q., Diagnosis and Therapy of Infectious Diseases and Cancer, Rene Rachou Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States; Fatem R.G., Schistosome Biological Supply Center, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt; Oyeyemi O.T., Tropical Medicine & Diagnostics Development Group, Seeding Graduate Lab, Department of Biosciences and Biotechnology, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State, Ondo, Nigeria
Abstract
Traditional serological diagnosis can be invasive and uncomfortable, potentially discouraging patients, especially women and children, from seeking diagnosis and treatment. In resource-limited, endemic regions, non-invasive diagnostic approaches are highly desirable. This study investigated the potential of urine-based ELISA using Schistosoma haematobium soluble egg–based (Sh-SEA) and worm antigen protein (Sh-WAP) for diagnosing urogenital schistosomiasis. Urine samples were disaggregated into three groups; 50 laboratory-confirmed S. haematobium–positive individuals, 50 S. haematobium–negative individuals from the endemic area (NE), and 50 non-infected samples from a non-endemic area (NNE) were used for the ELISA immunoassay. Diagnostic performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, sensitivity (SS), and specificity (SP). The Sh-SEA ELISA with urine demonstrated superior diagnostic accuracy compared to Sh-WAP in both endemic (AUC = 0.89, SS = 92%, SP = 74%) and non-endemic areas (AUC = 0.77, SS = 80%, SP = 46%). Notably, both Sh-SEA and Sh-WAP antibody titers were significantly higher in infected individuals compared to the non-infected samples in both endemic and non-endemic areas (p < 0.0001). This study’s findings suggest that urine-based ELISA using Sh-SEA and Sh-WAP antigens exhibits promising potential as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for urogenital schistosomiasis, particularly in resource-limited settings. © Institute of Microbiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i. 2025.
Keywords
Diagnostic accuracy; Endemic regions; Serological diagnosis; Soluble egg antigen (SEA); Worm antigen protein (WAP); Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Antibodies, Helminth; Antigens, Helminth; Child; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; ROC Curve; Schistosoma haematobium; Schistosomiasis haematobia; Sensitivity and Specificity; Urine; Young Adult; helminth antibody; parasite antigen; animal; blood; diagnosis; enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; evaluation study; human; immunology; isolation and purification; parasitology; procedures; receiver operating characteristic
Citation Information
Scopus Citations: 1
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