A MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY-BASED ELISA FOR THE DETECTION OF CIRCULATING EXCRETORY SECRETORY ANTIGENS IN TAENIA-SAGINATA CYSTICERCOSIS

A series of monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) produced against excretory and secretory products from 10- and 20-week-old Taenia saginata cysticerci were tested for their ability to detect circulating antigen in a double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Two MoAb, 12G5 and 2H8, proved to be highly reactive with the tegument of viable T. saginata cysticerci and recognized antigenic components of 65, 87 and 100 kDa in immunoblotting. The detection limit of the assay using 12G5 as trapping antibody and 2H8 as a biotinylated indicator antibody was 0.1 ng protein per ml. Although the sensitivity of the test varied from one animal to another, the minimum number of living cysticerci, which could be detected by the ELISA, was 88. Animals harbouring only dead cysticerci gave similar reactions as non-infected control animals. Cross-reactions were only observed with taeniid parasites. The test was able to detect circulating antigen also in sheep and pigs, respectively infected with T. ovis and T. solium and in the serum samples of confirmed cases of human T. solium cysticercosis.