[Observation on dynamics of circulating antigen from patients with cysticercosis before and after treatment]

The dynamics of circulating antigen (CAg) level in sera form patients with cysticercosis before and after albendazole treatment were detected by using monoclonal antibody-based double antibody sandwich ELISA (McAb-ELISA). The results indicate that after the patients with cysticercosis had been treated for one, two and three treatment courses, the levels of CAg in sera decreased with the increase in the number of treatment courses, their average OD value dropped from 0.499 before treatment to 0.291, 0.073 and 0.051 after treatment, respectively, and the corresponding negative conversion rates of CAg detection were 20.0%, 57.9% and 87.5%, respectively. Sera from eight patients who had received three courses of albendazole treatment were detected for CAg and CAb before and after treatment. The results indicate that the CAb level dropped rather slowly after three courses of treatment as compared to CAg level. It is concluded that detecting circulating antigen might be used as a promising method for evaluating the drug efficacy.