Taenia Solium ELISA Kit

Intended Use:
The Bordier Taenia solium ELISA kit is intended for the quantitative detection of IgG antibodies against Taenia solium in human serum. Serology is an aid for diagnosis and cannot be used as the sole method of diagnosis.

Background:
Cysticercosis is caused by larval cysts of the tapeworm Taenia solium and is a major cause of adult onset seizures in most developing countries. Humans can be infected by accidentally ingesting eggs found in the feces of a person who has an intestinal tapeworm (taeniasis). Intestinal hatching of onchospheres from eggs allows them to migrate to a wide variety of tissues, but mainly in muscles and brain. The main symptoms appear when cysts are localised in the brain (seizures and headaches). Diagnosis is based on imaging techniques such as MRI or CT brain scans plus a history of exposure and a positive result by serological testing.

Principle and Presentation:
The kit provides all the material needed to perform 96 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) on breakable microtitration wells sensitized with Taenia solium cyst soluble antigens. Specific antibodies in the sample will bind to these antigens and washing will remove unspecific antibodies. The presence of parasite specific antibodies is detected with a Protein A – alkaline phosphatase conjugate. A second washing step will remove unbound conjugate. Revealing bound antibodies is made by the addition of pNPP substrate which turns yellow in the presence of alkaline phosphatase. Color intensity is proportional to the amount of Taenia solium specific antibodies in the sample. Potassium phosphate is added to stop the reaction. Absorbance at 405 nm is read using an ELISA microplate reader. The test can be performed with automatic systems, but this must be validated by the user.