Western blot analysis was carried out using crude antigens of Echinococcus multilocularis and 33 serum samples from the People's Republic of China to differentiate patients with alveolar hydatid disease (AHD) with active lesions from those with inactive lesions, those with other parasitoses including cystic hydatid disease (CHD), and healthy persons. This analysis was based on the detection of antibody responses against two polypeptides, Em18 and Em16, which appeared to be species specific and good indices for the differentiation of AHD with active lesions from AHD with inactive lesions. Twenty-one of the 33 samples showed antibody responses against Em18 and/or Em16. Fifteen were antibody-positive for both Em18 and Em16, five were antibody-positive for Em18 only, and one was antibody-positive for Em16 only. Of the subjects from which the 33 samples were obtained, 12 patients had AHD with active lesions, two had AHD, but their lesions were resolved by surgical resections, 14 had CHD with active lesions, and five were apparently healthy people. Western blot analysis confirmed all 14 cases of AHD, three of the 14 cases of CHD, and showed that one of the five apparently healthy individuals had a positive serologic response for AHD. This apparently healthy person with a positive serologic response for AHD by Western blot analysis was found to be positive for the disease on re-examination. Thus, Western blot analysis based on the antibody responses against Em18 and Em16, especially against Em18, was extremely reliable for the detection of AHD with active lesions, although it failed to differentiate two of the 14 patients with CHD.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)