Serodiagnosis of neurocysticercosis in patients with epileptic seizure using ELISA and immunoblot assay

Abstract

SUMMARYSera from 88 patients from Santa Catarina and São Paulo states of Brazil, with epileptic seizures who underwent cerebral computed tomography (CT) were analyzed for the detection of antibodies to T. solium cysticercus by ELISA and Immunoblot (IB) with the following antigens: Taenia solium cysticercus total saline (Tso), Taenia crassiceps cysticercus vesicular fluid (Tcra-vf) and T. crassiceps cysticercus glycoproteins (Tcra-gp). ELISA carried out with Tso, Tcra-vf and Tcra-gp antigens showed 95%, 90% and 80% sensitivities, respectively, and 68%, 85% and 93% specificities, respectively. In the epileptic patients group, ELISA positivity was 30%, 51% and 35% with Tso, Tcra-vf and Tcra-gp antigens respectively. Considering the IB as the confirmatory test, the positivity was 16% (14/88) in the epileptic patients total group and 22% (12/54) in the epileptic patients with positive CT and signals of cysticercosis. We found a significant statistical correlation among ELISA or IB results and the phase of the disease when any antigens were used (p < 0.05). We emphasize the need to introduce in the laboratory routine the search for neurocysticercosis (NC) in patients presenting with epileptic seizures because of the high risk of acquiring NC in our region and its potential cause of epilepsy.

Testing pigs of non-technified rearing farms for serum antibodies against Taenia solium in a region of the state of São Paulo, Brazil

“…Prestes-Carneiro et al (2006) evaluated cysticercosis occurrence in peasant's settlement inhabitants in the state of São Paulo and found 3.6% of infected humans. In addition, neurocysticercosis is the major cause of epileptic seizure in Brazil (Ishida et al 2006). This study evaluated animal samples from peasant's settlements, reinforcing the appeal for health authorities to improve basic sanitation at rural communities, aiming on reducing treatment costs and promoting public health in these populations.…”

“…The ingestion of water or food contaminated with the parasite's eggs are the main infection pathway of human cysticercosis. In the event of eggs ingestion, neurocysticercosis commonly occurs and is considered one of the most important diseases in Latin America (Flisser et al 2003) and the major cause of epileptic seizures in Brazil (Ishida et al 2006).…”

Evaluation of two Taenia solium cysticercal antigenic preparations (vesicular fluid and a glycoprotein fraction with affinity for lentil lectin) for the immunodiagnosis of neurocysticercosis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

“…In 107 patients with solitary cysticercus granuloma, the ELISA and immunoblot were positive in 80% and 62% of the cases, respectively, whereas in non-cysticercosis patients, the ELISA and immunoblot were negative in 94% and 97% of the cases, respectively. Ishida et al 30 evaluated the performances of different cysticercal antigens (T. solium cysticercal total saline, Tso; T. crassiceps cysticercal vesicular fluid, Tcra-vf and T. crassiceps cysticercal glycoproteins, Tcra-gp) for the immunodiagnosis of neurocysticercosis using ELISA and immunoblot. In 20 serum samples from patients with neurocysticercosis confirmed by neuroimaging studies, the ELISA done with Tso, Tcravf and Tcra-gp was positive in 19 (95%), 18 (90%) and 16 (80%) patients, respectively.…”

Crude antigen from Taenia crassiceps cysticercus used as heterologous antigen in ELISA and in EITB for neurocysticercosis diagnosis of patients from Paraná-Brazil

“…However, it is very difficult to obtain enough quantities of an antigen as that depends either on finding naturally infected swine or infecting them experimentally with T. solium eggs. Several studies have shown that C. longicollis could replace C. cellulosae because both parasites shared antigenic elements able to be used in ELISA or immunoblottings (Vaz et al, 1996;Bueno et al, 2000;Pardini et al, 2002;Ishida et al, 2006). Therefore, the use of this heterologous antigen may contribute for seroepidemiologic studies to evaluate the complex taeniasis/cysticercosis (Vaz et al, 1996;, Sciutto et al, 2000, Ito, 2000.…”