Em um grupo de 217 adultos do sexo masculino selecionados através de ELISA ou intradermoreação, realizaram-se seis exames de fezes pelos métodos de Lutz/Hoffman, Pons e Janer (Lutz/HPJ) e Kato/Katz e um oograma da mucosa retal, observando-se positividade em 44,7%, 47,5% e 40,1%, respectivamente. A análise comparativa dos resultados mostrou: 1) aumento da sensibilidade de ambos os métodos de exames de fezes até a terceira amostra examinada; 2) maior sensibilidade da biópsia retal quando comparada ao exame de uma única amostra fecal pelos métodos de Lutz/HPJ ou Kato/Katz; 3) igual sensibilidade pelo exame de duas a cinco amostras fecais pelo método de Kato/Katz ou duas a seis amostras pelo método de Lutz/HPJ e a biópsia retal; 4) sensibilidade superior de seis amostras fecais pelo método de Kato/Katz, quando comparado à biópsia retal; 5) igual sensibilidade entre o mesmo número de amostras examinadas pelos métodos de Lutz/HPJ e Kato/Katz. Para avaliar a cura parasitológica, os últimos 40 pacientes do grupo A, tratados com oxamniquine oral, dose única, 15 mg/kg foram acompanhados durante seis meses (Grupo B). O controle de cura incluiu três exames de fezes mensais, pelos métodos de Lutz/HPJ e Kato/Katz no 1º, 3º e 6º meses e uma biópsia retal, entre o 4º e 6º meses após o tratamento. Os exames foram negativos em 87,5%, 90,0% e 95,0% dos pacientes tratados e avaliados pelos métodos de Kato/Katz, Luiz/HPJ e biópsia retal, respectivamente. O percentual de cura com a oxamniquine foi de 82,5%, quando considerados os três métodos de controle parasitológico associados e, não houve diferença estatística entre o número de casos considerados curados por um deles.

From each of a group of 217 adult males selected through enzyme-immunoassay or skin-test (Group A), six stool samples were examined by both the Lutz/Hoffman, Pons & Janer (Lutz/HPJ) and Kato/Katz methods. In addition, one oogram of the rectal mucosa was performed. By these methods, schistosomiasis was detected in 44.7%, 47.5% and 40.1% of the individuals respectively. To evaluate the methods in the assessment of cure, the last 40 patients from group A, treated with a single oral dose of oxamniquine at 15 mg/kg were followed up for six months (Group B). The criteria for parasitological cure included three stool examinations by Kato/Katz and Lutz/HPJ methods, one, three and six months post-treatment and a rectal biopsy between the fourth and sixth months post-treatment. The examinations were negative in 87.5%, 90% and 95% of the patients, respectively. The efficacy of oxamniquine was 82.5% when the three methods were considered together and there was no statistically significant difference between the sensitivity of the individual methods.

A new serological assay dot-dye-immunoassay (dot-DIA) was evaluated for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis mansoni. This method consist of four steps: (a) biding of antigens to a nitrocellulose membrane (NC); (b) blocking of free sites of the NC; (c) incubation in specific primary antibody; (d) detection of primary antibody reactivity by color development using second antibody coupled to textile dyes. Sera from 82 individuals, 61 with Schistosoma mansoni eggs in the stool and 21 stool negative were tested by ELISA, dot-ELISA, and dotDIA. A high level of agreement between the methods tested was observed for all sera tested: ELISA x dot-ELISA: 95.1%, ELISA x dot-DIA: 92.7% and dot-ELISA x dot-DIA: 97.6%. In this study, dot-DIA proved to be a feasible, sensitive, rapid and practical test for the diagnosis of shcistosomiasis.

Even with all progress in the search of sensitive and methods for the immunological diagnosis of schistosomiasis, the microscopic detection of eggs of the parasite in the stool still remains the most widely used tool for the actual diagnosis of active infection. Among the coproscopic methods, Kato's technic modified by Katz et al (Kato/Katz) has the advantages of higher sensitivity, the possibility of egg quantification, its low operational cost and its feasibility in areas with minimal infra-structure. The oorgram of the rectal mucosa is valuable in initial clinical trials of schistosomicides, when it is needed to observe egg morphology in tissue. It could be an alternative method for individual diagnosis, being more sensitive than a single stool exam in low intensity infection. However, the increased sensitivity of a higher number of fecal exams makes that invasiveprocedure unnecessary. In the assessment of cure of schistosomiasis, Kato/Katz method (three fecal samples in one, three and six months after treatment) and the rectal biopsy four months after treatment, are equally reliable.