title: Serum antigen detection in the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of neurocysticercosis patients.
abstract: The efficacy of albendazole (ABZ) treatment for human neurocysticercosis (NCC) was assessed by using a monoclonal antibody-based parasite antigen detection ELISA which specifically detects the products of living cysticerci in human serum. The assay displayed 85% diagnostic sensitivity, detecting 39 of 46 NCC cases. Only patients with a single viable cyst or only enhancing lesions (degenerating parasites) were seronegative. Specificity of the assay was 92% (23/25) when tested in healthy Peruvian volunteers. In 'cured' patients, in whom all parasites died after ABZ therapy, parasite antigen levels fell sharply by 3 months post treatment. This pattern was not observed in patients refractory to treatment. The sensitivity of the assay with serum samples, and its ability to identify successfully treated patients, make this monoclonal antibody-based ELISA the test of choice for the follow-up of NCC cases.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Microbiology and Pathology, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Av. Honorio Delgado 430, San Martin de Porras, Lima, Peru. hgarcia@terra.com.pe
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Parkhouse
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Gilman
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Montenegro
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bernal
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: V C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Harrison
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015766:Albendazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000097:blood*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020019:Neurocysticercosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D010568:Peru / Q000453:epidemiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D015766:Albendazole