02498nas a2200265 4500000000100000008004100001260004400042653002600086653002400112653002000136653003000156653003100186100001400217700001600231700001100247700001700258700001400275700001700289700001300306700001500319245012600334856006500460520168200525022002502207 2025 d bSpringer Science and Business Media LLC10aSerological diagnosis10aDiagnostic Accuracy10aEndemic regions10aSoluble egg antigen (SEA)10aWorm antigen protein (WAP)1 aOriade TO1 aSulaiman KA1 aAuta T1 aAfolayan FID1 aOdaibo AB1 aGrenfell RFQ1 aFatem RG1 aOyeyemi OT00aUrine-based ELISA for non-invasive diagnosis of urogenital schistosomiasis: a promising tool for resource-limited regions uhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12223-025-01278-03 a

Traditional serological diagnosis can be invasive and uncomfortable, potentially discouraging patients, especially women and children, from seeking diagnosis and treatment. In resource-limited, endemic regions, non-invasive diagnostic approaches are highly desirable. This study investigated the potential of urine-based ELISA using Schistosoma haematobium soluble egg–based (Sh-SEA) and worm antigen protein (Sh-WAP) for diagnosing urogenital schistosomiasis. Urine samples were disaggregated into three groups; 50 laboratory-confirmed S. haematobium–positive individuals, 50 S. haematobium–negative individuals from the endemic area (NE), and 50 non-infected samples from a non-endemic area (NNE) were used for the ELISA immunoassay. Diagnostic performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, sensitivity (SS), and specificity (SP). The Sh-SEA ELISA with urine demonstrated superior diagnostic accuracy compared to Sh-WAP in both endemic (AUC = 0.89, SS = 92%, SP = 74%) and non-endemic areas (AUC = 0.77, SS = 80%, SP = 46%). Notably, both Sh-SEA and Sh-WAP antibody titers were significantly higher in infected individuals compared to the non-infected samples in both endemic and non-endemic areas (p < 0.0001). This study’s findings suggest that urine-based ELISA using Sh-SEA and Sh-WAP antigens exhibits promising potential as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for urogenital schistosomiasis, particularly in resource-limited settings.

 a0015-5632, 1874-9356