Original Research Article
Year: 2015 | Month: February | Volume: 5 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 75-82
Comparative Evaluation of Dot Blot and ELISA for the Detection of Anticysticercal Antibodies in the Cerebrospinal Fluid for the Immunodiagnosis of Neurocysticercosis
Shripad A. Patil1, Anupama R.Pai1, M. Veerendrakumar2
1Departments of Neuromicrobiology and 2Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Hosur Road, Bangalore-560029, INDIA.
Corresponding Author: Shripad A. Patil
ABSTRACT
Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is one of the major parasitic infections of the human central nervous system (CNS). Dot- blot has been established for the quick diagnosis of Neurocysticercosis (NCC) by analyzing the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients for anti-cysticercal antibodies. The assay is compared with indirect Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the efficacy. A total homogenate (scolices, membrane and fluid) of Taenia solium cysts obtained from infected pigs was used as the antigen in the assays. CSF samples were collected from chronic meningitis cases which were suspected for NCC, tuberculous meningitis (TBM) and other chronic meningitis cases apart from controls from viral meningitis, pyogenic meningitis and non-neurological controls at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) Bangalore, India. Anticysticercal antibodies were detected in 68 of 285 (23.86%) tested CSF samples by ELISA and in 53 of 285 (18.6%) samples by dot blot. Results of the present study revealed that some of the CSF samples which showed non-specific reactivity by ELISA (false positivity) probably due to the sticky component(s) in them is overcome by dot blot. This finding is also confirmed by western blot. Therefore dot blot may be used not only for wider screening of samples but can also be used for rapid diagnostic purpose in poorly equipped laboratories in endemic regions of NCC.
Key words: Dot blot, ELISA, Immunodiagnosis, Neurocysticercosis, Cerebrospinal fluid.