Taenia saginata taeniosis: copro-antigen time-course in a voluntary self-infection. Issue 5 (September 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tembo, A.; Craig, P.S.
• Is Part Of: Journal of helminthology. Volume 89:Issue 5(2015)
• Page Start: 612
• Page End: 619
• Publication Date: 2015-09
• Subjects: Helminthology -- Periodicals; 592.3
• DOI: 10.1017/S0022149X14000455
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-149X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="normal"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Human taeniosis due to <italic>Taenia saginata</italic> is cosmopolitan where beef is consumed; however, there is little or no information on the symptomatology over the early time-course of human infection. Copro-antigen detection is very useful in community screening for human taeniosis, particularly for <italic>T. solium</italic>, but there are no data on copro-antigen detection in pre-patent infection. In order to provide insight into this, a voluntary self-infection with <italic>T. saginata</italic> was undertaken and monitored over a 6-month period using a copro-antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that we developed using anti-<italic>T. saginata</italic> antibody based reagents. Tapeworm patency, defined as first proglottid appearance, occurred on day 86 post-infection (pi) and was followed by almost daily release of proglottids (range 1–8) until termination using praziquantel on day 180 pi. The first 10 weeks post-infection (wpi) were essentially asymptomatic, followed by main symptoms of involuntary proglottid discharge throughout the infection period, and abdominal discomfort peaking around 15–19 wpi. Copro-antigens could not be reliably detected until 2 weeks before proglottid patency but then remained highly elevated over the next 15 weeks until treatment. Copro-antigen levels reverted to negative 4 days post-treatment. This time-course study suggests that although copro-antigen ELISA is an excellent diagnostic tool for established patent infections of <italic>T. saginata</italic>, it may not be reliable for faecal antigen detection in the early infection phase prior to proglottid release for <italic>T. saginata</italic> and other human taenioses.</p> </abstract>