Immunodiagnosis of Cysticercosis in China

Cysticercosis is an important parasitic zoonosis, caused by the infection of Cysticercus cellulosae, the larval stage of Taenia solium. This disease is a serious public health problem in pigs and human beings in many developing areas worldwide. Practical, rapid, and efficient pre-mortem diagnostic methods therefore are of great significance. The cysticercus antigens and immunodiagnosis methods used for cysticercosis, including assays designed for detecting cysticercus circulating antigens and molecular approaches, are reviewed and evaluated. The questions existing in control of cysticercosis in China are also discussed. INTRODUCTION Cysticercus cellulosae, the larval stage of Taenia solium, is an important pathogen, which causes neurocysticercosis or even death with the encystment in the central nervous system (CNS). More importantly, recent studies suggest that neurocysticercosis is also associated with human cancer.1 People can be infected by eating uncooked or poorly cooked cysticercosis pork or by digesting eggs created by the adult tapeworm directly or regurgitating gravid proglottids from the human gut to the stomach. This disease is a serious public health problem in pigs and human beings in many developing areas or countries worldwide, and has been reported recently in some developed countries.2 Ito reported a situation in Papua, Indonesia, that appears to be one of the worst in the world.3 In Jayawijaya in 1996-1997, 46% of 18-year-olds were found to have T solium cysticercosis. In Wamena, Javawijava, in 2001, approximately 8% of the population carried adult tapeworms of T solium and 32% had cysticercosis. The situation in China is serious, too. Previous investigation showed that cysticercosis was regionally prevalent, mainly due to local customs or beliefs or poor living conditions, especially in some areas of northeast, north, northwest, and southwest China. The average rate of C Immunodiagnosis of Cysticercosis in China Xuepeng Cai, PhD*† Yadong Zheng, MD* Xuenong Luo, PhD* Zhizhong Jing, PhD* Zhimin Hu, MD* Chengping Lu, PhD† *Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, Peoples Republic of China †Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang, Nanjing, Peoples Republic of China