Alex Alex von Kriegsheim (United Kingdom)
University of Edinburghe Edinburgh Cancer Research UK CentreAuthor Of 1 Presentation
ANTI-BRAIN PROTEIN AUTOANTIBODIES IN EXTRAPARENCHYMAL NEUROCYSTICERCOSIS *
- Arturo Carpio (Ecuador)
Abstract
Background and Aims:
Neurocysticercosis (NC) is the most common parasite infection of the CNS worldwide, and a main cause of seizures and epilepsy in endemic countries. The objective of this work has been to screen for the presence of autoantibodies to brain proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of clinically defined NC patients, representative of the two main clinical forms of NC, extraparenchymal (EP-NC) and parenchymal (P-NC) invasion.
Methods:
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were taken from 21 patients with NC and from 15 control neurological patients diagnosed as NC negative, were collected from January 2015 to February 2016. Both control and experimental CSF were assayed in the HP10 Ag which detects a secreted glycoprotein of viable metacestodes.
Results:
Using quantitative immunoblot methodology, we demonstrate the presence of autoantibodies to brain proteins in CSF from EP-NC, but not P-NC, patients. Nine corresponding proteins autoantigens were additionally identified by mass spectroscopy.
Conclusions:
There was striking correlation between the level of autoantibodies and the levels of the secreted metacestode glycoprotein HP-10, suggesting that the level of stimulation of the autoantibody response may be a function of the number of viable parasites.