Diagnóstico de la neurocisticercosis humana mediante ELISA-IgG usando un antígeno purificado / Diagnosis of human neurocysticercosis by ELISA-IgG using a purified antigen

ABSTRACT

An analysis of inmunodiagnosis data for human neurocysticercosis (NC) by ELISA-IgG, complement fixation (CSF) from confirmed cases of different hospitals from the metrolitan area of Santiago, Chile, was performed. The cut-off value was determined by using serum samples from 60 apparently healthy persons, whose absorbance values were the mean plus three standard desviations. The sensitivity of ELISA was 97,0 percent and 100 percent for serum samples and CSF respectively. This assay was considered od statistical significance (p< 0,05) when it was compared with CFT. Specificity was stablished by testing a purified antigen over 109 different helminthiasis serum samples, 185 neurological affections other than NC and 60 control samples. A 98,3 percent of global specificity was found. The use of ELISA-IgG and a purified antigen in the approach of inmune diagnosis of NC is considered a useful assay, particularly if it is perfomed on paired serum/CSF samples.