Epilepsy is not caused by cysticercosis in The Gambia.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether epilepsy is caused by Taenia solium cysticercosis in The Gambia.


METHODS
Case-control study testing samples collected from 210 people with epilepsy and 420 matched controls by sex and age +/-5 years from 69 different places around the country during the period October 2008-March 2009. All serum samples were subjected to an antigen detection ELISA (Ag-ELISA) and electro-immunotransfer blot (EITB), and the seropositives were further CT-scanned to determine the presence of cysticerci in the brain.


RESULTS
Although not significantly different (P = 0.668), circulating Taenia antigen was found by Ag-ELISA in 1.4% (95% CI: 0.3-4.1) of people with epilepsy and in 1.9% (95% CI: 0.8-3.7) of the controls. A non-significant (P = 0.4718) odds ratio of association 0.75 (95% CI: 0.13-3.15) between epilepsy and the presence of Taenia antigens was found. All 630 serum samples turned out seronegative by the EITB test. There were no intracranial cysts or cyst-like structures detected among the nine CT-scanned Ag-ELISA seropositives.


CONCLUSIONS
Epilepsy appears not to be caused by cysticercosis in The Gambia.
Secka
A
A
International Trypanotolerance Centre, Banjul, The Gambia.
Grimm
F
F
Victor
B
B
Marcotty
T
T
De Deken
R
R
Nyan
O
O
Herera
O
O
Van Marck
E
E
Geerts
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D005714:Gambia; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020019:Neurocysticercosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D041201:Taenia solium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult
D000947:Antigens, Helminth