Antibodies to the metacestode of Taenia solium in the saliva from patients with neurocysticercosis.

IgG antibodies to antigens of Taenia solium metacestodes were detected in saliva samples from patients with intracerebral cysticercosis by means of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). When compared for IgG antibody activity, saliva samples from patients with various nonparasitic neurological disorders and from clinically healthy individuals yielded significantly lower (p less than 0.001) absorbance values than saliva samples from patients with neurocysticercosis. However, no differences were observed in IgA anti-T. solium activity between patients with neurocysticercosis and controls. These results indicate that the detection of anticysticercus IgG antibodies in saliva by means of ELISA may be of value in the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis. Moreover, collection of saliva provides a noninvasive sampling method for immunoepidemiological surveys on this disease.