Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a major cause of acquired epilepsy in most developing countries and has been diagnosed with increasing frequency in the United States. The disease is caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm Taenia solium. Albendazole is the most effective therapy available for intraparenchymal cysts, resolving all lesions in about 50% of patients. This amended application seeks to correlate serological markers with treatment effectiveness in a cohort of Peruvian patients with parenchymal NCC treated with albendazole. Serological monitoring using an advanced immunoblot assay will characterize the evolution of the anti-parasite response in terms of antigen specificity and immunoglobulin isotype. Serological, clinical, and radiographic data will then be compared in a blind fashion to determine the relation between changes in antigen-specific immunoglobulin isotypes and therapy effectiveness.
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| Garcia, H H; Del Brutto, O H (1999) Heavy nonencephalitic cerebral cysticercosis in tapeworm carriers. The Cysticercosis Working Group in Peru. Neurology 53:1582-4 |
