Immunoelectrophoresis test for amoebiasis.

Haemagglutination and immunoelectrophoresis tests were investigated to find which was more suitable for the immunodiagnosis of amoebiasis. Both tests were positive in more than 90% of sera from patients with amoebic liver abscess. With serum from blood donors and patients with other diseases a much lower percentage of positives was given by the immunoelectrophoresis test, showing that this test had a closer correlation with clinically important disease.The immunoelectrophoretic patterns were of several varieties, but a single prominent band located near the well was considered as characteristic of amoebiasis.Follow-up studies showed that both haemagglutinating and precipitating antibodies persisted for several months, accompanied in certain patients by changes in the immunoelectrophoretic pattern. Antibody activities were shown by means of column chromatography and "reversed" immunoelectrophoresis to be associated with serum IgG.