False positive ELISA tests can occur in:
(1) a patient with schistosomiasis
(2) a patient with echinococcosis
(3) a patient with Taenia saginata infection
(4) a patient with filariasis
(5) with the presence of heterophile antibodies
False negative ELISA tests can occur in:
(1) a significant percentage of patients with cysticercosis, especially those with mild disease
A positive ELISA test can be helpful in the diagnosis of cysticercosis, but the diagnosis should not be excluded on the basis of negative serology.
A better test for diagnosing cysticercosis is the enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB) assay using purified antigens. This is highly specific and more sensitive than the ELISA assay.
