[Diagnosis of human neurocysticercosis by ELISA-IgG using a purified antigen].

Abstract

An analysis of immunodiagnosis data for human neurocysticercosis (NC) by ELISA-IgG, complement fixation test (CFT) and indirect hemagglutination test (IHAT) in 67 serum samples and 54 cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) from confirmed cases of different hospitals from the Metropolitan Area of Santiago, Chile, was performed. The cut-off value was determined by using serum samples from 60 apparently healthy persons, whose absorbance values were the mean plus three standard deviations. The sensitivity of ELISA was 97.0% and 100% for serum samples and CSF respectively. This assay was considered of statistical significance (p < 0.05) when it was compared with CFT. Specificity was established by testing a purified antigen over 109 different helminthiasis serum samples, 185 neurological affections other than NC and 60 control samples. A 98.3% of global specificity was found. The use of ELISA-IgG and a purified antigen in the approach of immune diagnosis of NC is considered a useful assay, particularly if it is performed on paired serum/CSF samples.