Application of Taenia saginata metacestodes as an alternative antigen for the serological diagnosis of human neurocysticercosis.

Serological tests are an important tool for the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis (NCC), the disease caused by Taenia solium metacestodes. The aim of the present research was to test the application of Taenia saginata metacestodes as an alternative antigen for use in the immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and Western blotting (WB) tests compared with the metacestodes antigen of T. solium in serum samples. The samples were obtained from 130 individuals: 20 from patients with definitive NCC, Group 1; 18 from individuals infected by Taenia sp., Group 2; 40 from individuals infected by various parasites, Group 3; and 40 from healthy individuals, Group 4. The sensitivity of IFAT, ELISA, and WB using antigen obtained from T. solium applied to the patients of Group 1 yielded results of 85, 95, and 95%, respectively, for the three tests. When the tests were conducted using T. saginata metacestodes, results were 75, 80, and 85%, respectively. The specificity of IFAT, ELISA, and WB using antigen obtained from T. solium yielded results of 94.9, 88.8, and 93.9%. When the tests were conducted using T. saginata metacestodes, results were 95.9, 88.8, and 93.6%, respectively. No statistical differences for sensitivity or specificity among the antigens were found. In conclusion, the results indicated that T. saginata metacestodes can be used as an alternative antigen for NCC diagnosis.