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. 2018 Jan;23(1):101-105.
doi: 10.1111/tmi.13010. Epub 2017 Dec 7.

Low sensitivity and frequent cross-reactions in commercially available antibody detection ELISA assays for Taenia solium cysticercosis

Hector H Garcia  1   2 , Yesenia Castillo  2 , Isidro Gonzales  1 , Javier A Bustos  2 , Herbert Saavedra  1 , Louis Jacob  3 , Oscar H Del Brutto  4 , Patricia P Wilkins  5 , Armando E Gonzalez  6 , Robert H Gilman  2   7 ; Cysticercosis Working Group in Peru
Collaborators, Affiliations

Low sensitivity and frequent cross-reactions in commercially available antibody detection ELISA assays for Taenia solium cysticercosis

Hector H Garcia et al. Trop Med Int Health. 2018 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of two commercially available ELISA kits, Novalisa® and Ridascreen® , for the detection of antibodies to Taenia solium, compared to serological diagnosis of neurocysticercosis (NCC) by LLGP-EITB (electro-immunotransfer blot assay using lentil-lectin purified glycoprotein antigens).

Methods: Archive serum samples from patients with viable NCC (n = 45) or resolved, calcified NCC (n = 45), as well as sera from patients with other cestode parasites (hymenolepiasis, n = 45 and cystic hydatid disease, n = 45), were evaluated for cysticercosis antibody detection using two ELISA kits, Novalisa® and Ridascreen® . All NCC samples had previously tested positive, and all samples from heterologous infections were negative on LLGP-EITB for cysticercosis. Positive rates were calculated by kit and sample group and compared between the two kits.

Results: Compared to LLGP-EITB, the sensitivity of both ELISA assays to detect specific antibodies in patients with viable NCC was low (44.4% and 22.2%), and for calcified NCC, it was only 6.7% and 4.5%. Sera from patients with cystic hydatid disease were highly cross-reactive in both ELISA assays (38/45, 84.4%; and 25/45, 55.6%). Sera from patients with hymenolepiasis cross-reacted in five cases in one of the assays (11.1%) and in only one sample with the second assay (2.2%).

Conclusions: The performance of Novalisa® and Ridascreen® was poor. Antibody ELISA detection cannot be recommended for the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis.

Keywords: ELISA; Taenia solium; Peru; Pérou; antibody; anticorps; cysticercose; cysticercosis; neurocysticercose; neurocysticercosis.

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