Rev. Saúde Pública 2003;28(2):116-120

Capture erytroimmunoadsorption test for neurocysticercosis immunodiagnosis

DOI: 10.1590/S0034-89101994000200004

The capture erytroimmunoadsorption (C-EIA) test was standardized for detection of Taenia solium cysticercus-IgG specific antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with ncurocysticercosis. For the C-EIA test performance a reagent for specific antibody detection was prepared using sheep’s red blood cells (SRBC) in a concentration of 0.25% sensitized with crude saline extract antigen (SEA) obtained from Cysticercus cellulosae. The optimum concentration of SEA for SRBC sensitization was 40ug/ml. The yield of SEA was 0.lug protein/cavity. When 58 CSF samples from patients with neurocysticercosis were analysed the sensitivity of the test was found to be 84.5% and the confidence limit of 95% probability (CL 95%) ranged from 75% to 94%. The specificity was 95.3% (CL 95% from 90.7% to 99.9%) when CSF samples from the control group were analysed. The C-EIA test was shown to be efficient for neurocysticercosis diagnosis and important for public health laboratories, because of its low cost, high reagent yield and ease of use.