Follow-up of neurocysticercosis patients after treatment using an antigen detection ELISA.
Seven patients with active neurocysticercosis (NCC) received an eight days treatment with albendazole and were followed up using computed tomography (CT-scan) and a monoclonal antibody based ELISA for the detection of circulating antigen (Ag-ELISA). Only three patients were cured as was shown by CT-scan and by the disappearance of circulating antigens one month after treatment. After a second course of albendazole therapy, two other patients became seronegative. CT-scan showed the disappearance of viable cysts in all persons who became seronegative whereas patients who were not cured remained seropositive. These preliminary results show that this Ag-ELISA is a promising technique for monitoring the success of treatment of NCC patients because of the excellent correlation between the presence of circulating antigens and of viable brain cysts.
Nguekam
University of Dschang, P.O. Box 96, Dschang, Cameroon.
Zoli
A P
AP
Ongolo-Zogo
P
P
Dorny
P
P
Brandt
J
J
Geerts
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015766:Albendazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000097:blood*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000469:parasitology; D002163:Cameroon; D002648:Child; D003906:Developing Countries / Q000191:economics; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020019:Neurocysticercosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D041201:Taenia solium / Q000276:immunology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*
D000871:Anthelmintics; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D015766:Albendazole