Follow-up of neurocysticercosis patients after treatment using an antigen detection ELISA

• Main Authors: Nguekam, Zoli A.P., Ongolo-Zogo P., Dorny P., Brandt J., Geerts S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: EDP Sciences 2003-03-01
• Series: Parasite
• Subjects: Taenia solium; CT-scan; ELISA; circulating antigen; neurocysticercosis; albendazole
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2003101p65
• ISSN: 1252-607X; 1776-1042

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.