SEROLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF NEUROCYSTICERCOS IS WITH ELISA AND COUNTERIMMUNOELECTROPHORESIS

The aim of this work was to assess the diagnostic accuracy for neurocy sticercosis, of ELISA and counterimmunoelectrophoresis techniques, in sera and cerebrospinal fluid. Two hundred eight serum samples (47 comi ng from patients with confirmed cysticercosis) and 87 cerebrospinal fl uid samples (27 coming from patients with confirmed cysticercosis) wer e analyzed. A crude and standardized extract of swine muscle cysticerc us cellulosae was used as antigen. ELISA and counterimmunoelectrophore sis had a 100% specificity in cerebrospinal fluid. In sera, counterimm unoelectrophoresis had a 94.1% specificity. In sera and cerebrospinal fluid, ELISA had a 85.1% sensitivity. Cross reactions were observed in sera of patients with confirmed hydatidosis. Thus, the high specifici ty of both techniques in cerebrospinal fluid is probably due to the lo w incidence of cerebral hydatidosis in Chile. It is concluded that for the diagnosis of neurocysticerocosis, antibodies against cysticercus cellulosae must be sought paralelly in serum and cerebrospinal fluid u sing ELISA and counterimmunoelectrophoresis.