Immunoreactive proteins in Taenia solium/cysticercus cellulosae

Cysticercosis caused by Taenia solium is a common zoonotic parasitic disease in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and parts of Oceania, and it is responsible for many cases of epileptic seizures. Imaging techniques used to diagnose neurocysticercosis (NCC) are expensive and therefore rarely available in endemic countries. Several reliable methods have been developed for diagnosis of cysticercosis, and these include the use of recombinant antigens. Commercial antigens for diagnosing human NCC are obtained from either a soluble parasite extract or a parasite-derived glycoprotein fraction.

In this study, we identified and evaluated the antigens Tsol-p27 (previously detected in Nicaragua) and cC1 as potential recombinant diagnostic reagents, and we also investigated the localization and partial function of Tsol-p27. Immunoblotting using recombinant Tsolp27 revealed that Tsol-p27 was recognized by antibodies in all 10 analysed serum samples from NCC-positive individuals, whereas recombinant cC1 was recognized in only five of the 10 Tsol-p27-positive sera. None of the negative control sera showed a positive reaction to either of the recombinant antigens.

We also used immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB) to analyse serum samples from 165 people in Mozambique. This assessment confirmed that 18 of the subjects were NCC positive and the remaining 147 were NCC negative. Furthermore, Western blot analysis of Tsol-p27 showed 85.71% sensitivity and 96.69% specificity.

Despite the limited number of serum samples evaluated in the present studies, the results suggest that Tsol-p27 antigen provides good sensitivity and specificity and can thus be considered a suitable candidate for diagnosis of human NCC in both Central America and sub-Saharan Africa.

List of scientific papers

I. Further characterization of Tsol-p27 as a diagnostic antigen in sub-Saharan Africa. Exp Parasitol. 2013 Nov;135(3):573–579.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exppara.2013.09.006

II. Performance of Tsol-P27 antigen for serological diagnosis of cysticercosis in Mozambique J Helminthol. 2015 Aug 21:1-4.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022149X15000747