Immunodiagnosis of human neurocysticercosis: comparative performance of serum diagnostic tests in Mexico

Immunodiagnosis has a supportive role in the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis (NCC). The aim of this study was to compare the validity of seven immunodiagnostic tests among serum samples from 58 patients with NCC, 26 patients with neurological diseases other than NCC, and 15 healthy controls. One test for viable parasite detection (HP10 antigen assay) and six for antibody detection were evaluated. For the entire sample, sensitivities ranged from 55.2% (NOVALISA) to 81.0% (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] Taenia solium antibody), with the sensitivity of the latter test significantly higher than that of the in-house ELISA Taenia crassiceps, NOVALISA, enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB) CDC, and HP10. Overall, specificities were high, ranging from 85.4% (ELISA Ts) to 97.1% (NOVALISA), with no statistically significant differences. Detection of HP10 antigen was significantly associated with the presence of vesicular parasites. The simple and low-cost ELISA Taenia solium antibody Ab instead of EITB is recommended to support NCC diagnosis in both rural and hospital settings in Mexico.