Comparative evaluation of different immunoassays for the detection of Taenia solium cysticercosis in swine with low parasite burden

Author(s)

Andréia Bartachini Gomes ^[1] ; Killarney Ataíde Soares ^[2] ; Ednéia Casagrande Bueno ^[3] ; Noeli Maria Espindola ^[4] ; Alberto Hiroshi Iha ^[5] ; Antônio Augusto Mendes Maia ^[6] ; Regina Helena Saramargo Peralta ^[7] ; Adelaide José Vaz ^[8]

Affiliation

^[1] Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas. Departamento de Análises Clínicas - Brasil

^[2] Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos. Departamento de Ciências Básicas - Brasil

^[3] Universidade do Vale do Itajaí. Núcleo de Investigações Químico-Farmacêuticas - Brasil

^[4] Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas. Departamento de Análises Clínicas - Brasil

^[5] Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas. Departamento de Análises Clínicas - Brasil

^[6] Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas. Departamento de Análises Clínicas - Brasil

^[7] Hospital Universitário Antonio Pedro. Universidade Federal Fluminense. Faculdade de Medicina - Brasil

^[8] Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas. Departamento de Análises Clínicas - Brasil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz; v. 102, n. 6, p. 725-731, 2007-08-16.

Abstract

Seven swine were experimentally infected with Taenia solium eggs and blood samples from each animal were periodically collected. At the end of the experiment (t140) the animals did not show clinical aspects of cysticercosis or parasites in tongue inspection. All animals were slaughtered and cut into thin slices in searching for cysts. The number of cysts found in each animal varied from 1 to 85. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests for antibody (Ab) detection and for antigen (Ag) detection were performed, which presented respectively 71 and 57% of positivity. By immunoblot (IB), using 18/14(T. crassiceps Ag) or lentil-lectin-purified glycoproteins from T. solium Ag (LLGP) as Ag, five (71%) and six (86%) animals were positive, respectively. The association between Ag-ELISA with any IB (18/14 or LLGP) allowed the detection of all animals at 140 days post-experimental infection (days p.e.i.). The use of IB 18/14 combined to the Ag-ELISA allowed the detection of all animals since 70 days p.e.i., and the association between IB LLGP and Ag-ELISA allowed the detection of all animals since 112 days p.e.i. While all animals could be considered healthy by conventional screening tests, the use of immunoassays for detecting Ab and Ag showed better accuracy; therefore it would be more useful than usual clinical examination for screening cysticercosis in slightly infected pigs. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 02/12061-0 - Cysticercosis: immunidiagnosis, antigens, immune response, clinical and epidemiologic aspects
• Grantee: Adelaide José Vaz
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants