[Evaluation of 2 serological techniques in the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis: complement fixation reaction and Western blot].

Evaluation of two serological techniques for diagnosis cysticercosis: complement fixation reaction and Western blot. Comparative study that includes 49 sera samples and 30 CSF samples belonging to 35 patients with clinical diagnosis of cysticercosis of the CNS. As a control group we used 10 sera samples of patients with Trichinella spiralis infection, 33 sera samples of patients with hydatid cyst disease, 9 sera samples from patients with oxyuriasis, 52 sera samples of healthy blood donors and 22 additional CSF samples from patients with different CNS disorders. Thirty-one samples were positive by Western blot technique and 21 samples by complement fixation reaction technique. Agreement between both techniques was 76%. Gathering clinical and laboratory information we believe that a total of 11 patients had cysticercosis of the CNS (33 samples), and three additional patients remain with indeterminate diagnosis. We have also detected cross-reactions with Western blot techniques (reactivity to more than one band) in 43% of patients with hydatid disease and in 20% of patients with Trichinella spiralis infection, but none in oxyuriasis patients. The CFR technique had cross-reaction with 33% of sera samples from hydatid disease patients and 20% of those from oxyuriasis patients. No cross-reactions were seen in any of control patients with both techniques. The two different techniques tested can be of help, together with clinical and radiology data, in the diagnosis of cysticercosis of the CNS. However, both techniques showed strong cross-reactions with hydatid disease.