Journal of
Parasitology and Vector Biology

  • Abbreviation: J. Parasitol. Vector Biol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2141-2510
  • DOI: 10.5897/JPVB
  • Start Year: 2009
  • Published Articles: 204

Full Length Research Paper

Evaluation of metacestode of Taenia solium antigens for detection of anti-cysticercal IgG among patients with epilepsy in three districts of Northern Uganda

Simon Peter Alarakol
  • Simon Peter Alarakol
  • Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Gulu University, P. O. Box 166, Uganda.
  • Google Scholar
Moses Lotokome Joloba
  • Moses Lotokome Joloba
  • School of Biomedical Sciences, Makerere College of Health Sciences, P. O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
  • Google Scholar
Walter Onen Yagos
  • Walter Onen Yagos
  • Medical Library, Faculty of Medicine, Gulu University, P. O. Box 166, Gulu, Uganda.
  • Google Scholar
Emmanuel Odongo Aginya
  • Emmanuel Odongo Aginya
  • Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Gulu University P.O. Box 166 Gulu, Uganda.
  • Google Scholar


  •  Received: 28 May 2018
  •  Accepted: 27 June 2018
  •  Published: 31 August 2018

Abstract

Neurocysticercosis causes serious public health and socioeconomic problems in developing countries including Uganda. The aim of the study was to evaluate the metacestodes of Taenia solium (T. solium) antigens for detection of anticysticercal Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies among patients with epilepsy in three districts of Northern Uganda. Three hundred (300) random samples were screened for anticysticercal IgG using indirect antibody Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Samples positive for anticysticercal IgG were confirmed using western blot. The sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA method was 90 and 95.4% with positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 77.8 and 98.4% respectively.. The kappa value at 95% CI was 0.668 (0.545-0.791). The strength of agreement between ELISA assays and immunoblot was good. The finding indicates the ELISA based method using locally derived antigens can be used to screen most patients with epilepsy for exposure to T. solium antigens and the method can be employed in resource limited settings in most developing countries.

Key words: Evaluation, metacestode, Taenia solium antigen, ELISA, Neurocysticercosis, Northern Uganda