Studies on immune complexes and IgE in patients presenting with hydatid disease at Kenyatta National Hospital.

Abstract

A prospective study on circulating immune complexes (C.I.C.) and IgE in proven cases of human hydatidosis on chemotherapy with albendazole was carried out on 18 patients at Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi for a period of 1 year. Estimation of C.I.C.was done by precipitation of immune complexes in sera by polyethylene glycol (PEG). C.I.C.were present in 88.2 % of patients before treatment. The difference in optical densities (O.D.) between patient s and controls was found to be statistically significant (p <...001). Serial C.I.C. before, during and after treatment showed no particular trend and statistical analysis of their differences were not significant. Renal function before and 8 weeks after treatment were normal. Double gel diffusion method detected IgE in only 25% of patients and was found to an, insensitive method for detecting IgE in sera. 54% of patients had eosinophilia. Significant difference was noted in eosinophil count between patient and controls (p < .01). Significant difference was noted in erythrocyte sedimentation rate between patient and controls before chemotherapy (p = 0.05) and there was a significant drop in erythrocyte sedimentation rate 8 weeks after chemotherapy (P<0.05). Sera from majority of patients with hydatid diseaSe at Kenyatta National Hospital, contain C.I.C. Hydatid disease and the chemotherapeutic agent, albendazole did not affect renal function. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate may be potentially useful parameter in assessing effective chemotherapy in Kenya hydatidosis as judged from the present study.