Detection of antitrichomonal antibodies in sera and cervical secretions in trichomoniasis.

The AT, IFAT and ELISA were used to detect circulating and cervical antitrichomonal antibodies, using living and dead whole parasite or soluble protein extract as antigens respectively, in 93 women with proven trichomoniasis and 25 healthy women as controls. The results revealed that the IFA test is the most sensitive one for detecting serum (92.5%) and cervical (87.1%) antibodies. Circulating IgM rather than IgG appeared to be the antibody class involved in infected women, while cervical secretions showed a significant high concentrations of IgA, IgG and IgM. On the other hand, no IgE was detected neither in sera nor in secretions. The detection of antitrichomonal antibodies in controls, with no demonstrable trichomonal infection, may be accounted for previous infection.