title: Follow-up of neurocysticercosis patients after treatment using an antigen detection ELISA.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: University of Dschang, P.O. Box 96, Dschang, Cameroon.
authors.lastname: Nguekam
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Zoli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ongolo-Zogo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dorny
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Geerts
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D015766:Albendazole