IgG Anti-Body Titers among Patients with Amoebic Liver Abscess in Bangui, Central African Republic

Abstract

<i>Entamoeba histolytica (Eh)</i> is a protozoan parasite that causes amoebiasis characterized by intestinal damage and amoebic liver development and is an important cause of hospitalization in low-middle income countries . The aims of this study w ere to determine the prevalence and the titer of IgG anti Eh in ALA (Amoebic Liver Abscess) patients’ in Bangui according sex, age and other risk factors. This was a cross sectional study where data was collected between January 2018 and October 2020. The diagnosis of ALA was suspected based on clinical symptoms of; fever, abdominal pain (usually in the right hypochondrium or epigastrium) and clinical signs of hepatomegaly and/or tender liver with or without jaundice and abdominal ultra-sonograph y. ALA patients’ IgG antibody titers were measured by Indirect Hemmaglutination Assay and Chi-square test w as used. A total of 1249 ALA patients were included, among whom 570 (45.64%) were positive. Of these, 244 (42.08%) had titer 1:160 or less, 223 patients’ (39.13%) had titer ranging from 1:320 to 1:640 and 103 patients (18.07%) had strong titer ranging from 1:1280 to 1:2560. The association between antibody titer results, age and sex was no significant (p = 1.0000). Our findings indicate a high prevalence of ALA and show no significant difference between the sex and age ALA patients.