Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Detection of glial fibrillary acidic protein and neurofilaments in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with neurocysticercosis

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Parasitology Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract.

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is an infection caused by Taenia solium larval metacestodes in the central nervous system. The glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neurofilaments (NFs) can be used as markers of glial and neuronal damage, respectively. We studied the GFAP and NFs of 68, 160 and 200 kDa in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with NCC by Western blotting. Our results showed that patients with NCC had significantly elevated GFAP levels in the CSF compared with the control, whereas NFs of 68, 160 and 200 kDa were not detected in the CFS of NCC patients. We concluded that GFAP could be used as a marker of glial damage in the CFS of NCC patients.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1a, b.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Del Brutto OH, Rajshekhar V, White AC Jr, Tsang VCW, Nash TE, Takayanagui OM, Schantz PM, Evans CAW, Flisser A, Correa D, Botero D, Allan JC, Sarti E, Gonzalez AE, Gilman RH, García HH (2001) Proposed diagnostic criteria for neurocysticercosis. Neurology 57:177–183

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dotevall L, Hagberg L, Karlsson JE, Rosengren LE (1999) Astroglial and neuronal proteins in cerebrospinal fluid as markers of CNS involvement in Lyme neuroborreliosis. Eur J Neurol 6:169–178

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Holmberg B, Rosengren L, Karlsson JE, Johnels B (1998) Increased cerebrospinal fluid levels of neurofilament protein in progressive supranuclear palsy and multiple-system atrophy compared with Parkinson´s disease. Mov Disord 13:70–77

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Laemmli UK (1970) Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of the bacteriophage T4. Nature 227:680–685

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lejon V, Rosengren L, Buscher P, Karlsson JE, Sema HN (1999) Detection of light neurofilament and glial fibrillary acidic protein in cerebrospinal fluid of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense-infected patients. Am J Trop Med Hyg 60:94–98

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lycke JN, Karlsson JE, Andersen O, Rosengren LE (1998) Neurofilament protein in cerebrospinal fluid: a potential marker of activity in multiple sclerosis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 64:402–404

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Odashima NS, Takayanagui OM, Figueiredo JF (2002) Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of IgG, IgM, IgE and IgA against Cysticercus cellulosae in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with neurocysticercosis. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 60:400–405

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rosengren LE, Karlsson JE, Karlsson JO, Persson LI, Wikkelso C (1996) Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and others neurodegenerative diseases have increased levels of neurofilament protein in CSF. J Neurochem 67:2013–2018

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rosengren LE, Karlsson JE, Sjogren M, Blennow K, Wallin A (1999) Neurofilament protein levels in CSF increased in dementia. Neurology 52:1090–1093

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Towbin H, Staehelin J, Gordon J (1979) Electrophoretic transfer of proteins from polyacrylamide gels to nitrocellulose sheets. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 76:4350–4354

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tullberg M, Rosengren L, Blomsterwall E, Karlsson JE, Wikkelso C (1998) CSF neurofilament and glial fibrillary acidic protein in normal pressure hydrocephalus. Neurology 50:1122–1127

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zigmond MJ, Bloom FE, Landis SC, Roberts JL, Squire LR (1999). Fundamental neuroscience. Academic Press, New York

Download references

Acknowledgements.

This project was supported by grant 32660-M from CONACyT México and grant PIFF 00-12n from the Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes. The authors wish to thank Dr. Kalman Kovacs for manuscript revision and María del Rosario Campos, María del Rosario Montoya and Gabriela Orozco for excellent technical assistance. Human samples were used according to the current laws of México.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Centro de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Avenida Universidad 940, C.P. 20100, Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, México

    J. Luis Quintanar & Luis Manuel Franco

  2. Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Centro de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Avenida Universidad 940, C.P. 20100, Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, México

    Eva Salinas

Authors
  1. J. Luis Quintanar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Luis Manuel Franco
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Eva Salinas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Luis Quintanar.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Quintanar, J.L., Franco, L.M. & Salinas, E. Detection of glial fibrillary acidic protein and neurofilaments in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with neurocysticercosis. Parasitol Res 90, 261–263 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-003-0850-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-003-0850-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation