title: Urine antigen detection for the diagnosis of human neurocysticercosis.
abstract: Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a major cause of seizures and epilepsy. Diagnosis is based on brain imaging, supported by immunodiagnosis in serum or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Lumbar puncture is invasive and painful. Blood sampling is slightly painful and poorly accepted. Urine antigen detection has been used for other parasites and tried in NCC with suboptimal performance. We used a monoclonal antibody-based ELISA to detect Taenia solium antigens in urine from 87 Peruvian neurocysticercosis patients (viable cysts, N = 34; subarachnoid cysticercosis, N = 10; degenerating parasites, N = 7; calcified lesions, N = 36) and 32 volunteers from a non-endemic area of Peru. Overall sensitivity of urine antigen detection for viable parasites was 92%, which decreased to 62.5% in patients with a single cyst. Most patients (30/36, 83%) with only calcified cysticercosis were urine antigen negative. Antigen levels in paired serum/urine samples (evaluated in 19 patients) were strongly correlated. Non-invasive urine testing for T. solium antigens provides a useful alternative for NCC diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: Yesenia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Hector H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Jef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Van Hul
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Richar
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Hidalgo
authors.forename: Mylagritos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Portocarrero
authors.forename: D Paolo
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Melendez
authors.forename: Armando E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Gilman
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dorny
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020019:Neurocysticercosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine*; D041201:Taenia solium / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000947:Antigens, Helminth