REACTIVITY IN ELISA AND DOT-BLOT OF PURIFIED GP24, AN IMMUNODOMINANT ANTIGEN OF TAENIA-SOLIUM, FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF HUMAN NEUROCYSTICERCOSIS

In this paper we report the purification of GP24, one of the seven spe cific and highly antigenic Taenia solium glycoproteins previously iden tified by Western blot (WB) with serum, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and saliva samples from patients with neurocysticercosis (NC). GP24 was pu rified and evaluated in ELISA and dot blot for diagnosis. A lentil-lec tin-bound glycoprotein fraction (LL-GP) from T. solium cysticerci was submitted to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and the band that cor responded to GP24 was sliced, minced and electroeluted; an aliquot was used to immunize a rabbit, and the antiserum obtained was analysed by WB against LL-GP fraction; only GP24 was detected. ELISA and dot blot were performed with purified GP24 and serum and CSF samples from pati ents with NC that were previously positive for GP24 in WB and control samples; the latter were negative, while ail NC samples were positive. To test for specificity, purified GP24 was incubated in dot blot agai nst 44 sera from patients with other parasitic diseases; no positive r eactions were found. Results indicate that GP24 was adequately purifie d and retained its reactivity: thus in combination with ELISA or dot b lot may facilitate immunodiagnosis of NC.