About

Training Years: 2015-2016

Training Site: UPCH

Country: Peru

Mentors: Seth O’Neal, MD, MPH; Hector Garcia, MD, PhD

Title:  Field evaluation of TSW5 monoclonal antigen detection assay for Taenia solium in pigs

Project Objectives:  Current serologic assays for cysticercosis include antibody detection and antigen capture. Antibody detection is unable to discriminate between active and cleared infection. Its low specificity limits its utility as a screening tool. Conversely, antigen capture assays demonstrate the presence of viable parasites and provide information regarding severity of infection. The currently available HP10- ELISA and B158/B60-ELISA antigen capture tests have been shown to cross-react with Taenia hydatigena reducing the utility of these assays for detecting active T. solium infection in pigs in field situations. A new antigen captured assay based on the monoclonal antibody TSW5 developed in Peru and has shown promise as a highly specific screening tool because it does not cross-react with other cestode antigens. The purpose of this study is to validate the ability of TSW5 monoclonal antigen detection to identify pigs with active infection.

Aim 1: To determine the optimal cutoff of the TSW5 antigen detection assay using banked serum against necroscopic examination for larval cysts as a gold standard.

Aim 2: To validate the TSW5 antigen detection assay in a field setting using optimal cutoffs determined in Specific Aim 1.

NIH Support:  Fogarty fellowship postdoctoral training award