ABSTRACT
The demonstration of intrathecal antibody production has proven useful for showing the involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) in several diseases. In the present study, the intrathecal synthesis of cysticercus-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies was investigated in 30 patients with neurocysticercosis based on calculation of the specific IgG antibody index (AI(IgG)). An AI(IgG) > or =1.5 was considered to be indicative of intrathecal antibody production. Antibody concentrations in serum and cerebrospinal fluid samples were evaluated using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with 2 antigen preparations from Taenia solium cysticerci, namely, a whole cysticercal extract (TsoW) and the vesicular fluid of the parasite (TsoVF). Intrathecal, cysticercus-specific IgG antibody synthesis was observed in 21 (70%) and 23 (76.6%) patients using the TsoW and TsoVF antigens, respectively. The detection of the intrathecal synthesis of specific antibodies may be a potentially useful tool in establishing the involvement of CNS in cysticercosis.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Helminth/cerebrospinal fluid , Antigens, Helminth/cerebrospinal fluid , Immunoglobulin G/analysis , Neurocysticercosis/diagnosis , Taenia/immunology , Animals , Antibodies, Helminth/analysis , Antibodies, Helminth/immunology , Antigens, Helminth/immunology , Cyst Fluid , Cysticercus/immunology , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/methods , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Humans , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Immunoglobulin G/cerebrospinal fluid , Immunoglobulin G/immunology , Neurocysticercosis/immunologyABSTRACT
Simple and rapid latex-based diagnostic tests have been used for detecting specific antigens or antibodies in several diseases. In this article, we present the preliminary results obtained with a latex agglutination test (LAT) for diagnosing neurocysticercosis by detection of antibodies in CSF. A total of 43 CSF samples were assayed by the LAT: 19 CSF samples from patients with neurocysticercosis and 24 CSF samples from patients with other neurologic disorders (neurosyphilis, n = 8; neurotoxoplasmosis, n = 3; viral meningitis, n = 4, chronic headache, n = 9). The LAT exhibited 89.5% sensitivity and 75% specificity. The use of LAT seems to be an additional approach for the screening of neurocysticercosis with advantage of simplicity and rapidity. Further studies could be performed using purified antigens and serum samples.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Helminth/cerebrospinal fluid , Cysticercus/immunology , Latex Fixation Tests/methods , Neurocysticercosis/cerebrospinal fluid , Animals , Humans , Neurocysticercosis/immunology , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
Simple and rapid latex-based diagnostic tests have been used for detecting specific antigens or antibodies in several diseases. In this article, we present the preliminary results obtained with a latex agglutination test (LAT) for diagnosing neurocysticercosis by detection of antibodies in CSF. A total of 43 CSF samples were assayed by the LAT: 19 CSF samples from patients with neurocysticercosis and 24 CSF samples from patients with other neurologic disorders (neurosyphilis, n = 8; neurotoxoplasmosis, n = 3; viral meningitis, n = 4, chronic headache, n = 9). The LAT exhibited 89.5 percent sensitivity and 75 percent specificity. The use of LAT seems to be an additional approach for the screening of neurocysticercosis with advantage of simplicity and rapidity. Further studies could be performed using purified antigens and serum samples
