Taenia antigens detection in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with neurocysticercosis and its relationship with clinical activity of the disease.

OBJECTIVE (1) To determine the concentration of Taenia antigens in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with neurocysticercosis (NC); (2) to establish its relationship with clinical activity of the disease and with classical variables of CSF. METHOD A CSF examination was performed in one sample from 36 patients with definitive diagnosis of NC, including: quantitative and cytomorphological study, biochemical tests, immunological reactions for cysticercosis and Taenia antigens. The antibodies for antigens detection were obtained from the larval form of Taenia crassiceps, ORF strain. After intraperitoneal passage through female mice, a group of rabbits was immunized with vesicular fluid antigens. RESULTS The Taenia antigen was detected in CSF from 17 patients (47.2%), especially in those patients with epileptic symptoms in the last 12 months. CONCLUSION Taenia antigens presence in CSF have significant relationship with clinically active forms of NC, being a more sensitive marker than the classic eosinophil presence.