Eamsobhana P, Mak JW1 and Yong HS2
Department of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health, Bangkok, Thailand
1. Institute for Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur
2. Department of Zoology, University of Malaya, Malaysia
CITATION: Eamsobhana P, Mak JW, Yong HS. Identification of Parastrongylus cantonensis antigens for use in immunodiagnosis. International Medical Research Journal. 1997 Jun;1(1):1–04.
Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SOS-PAGE) and immunoblot analysis revealed that the somatic extracts of Parastrongylus cantonensis were highly heterogeneous, with at least 4 and 25 components of the larval and adult worm antigens respectively being immunogenic. Sera from two patients with parasitologically confirmed parastrongyliasis, 8 patients with presumptive parastrongyliasis, 12 patients with various other parasitic infections and two healthy adults were analysed for their reactivities against the somatic extracts of P. cantonensis third-stage larvae and adult worms. Extensive cross-reaction of P. cantonensis antigens with the sera from patients with other parasitic infections was observed. However, a 31 kDa component present in the larval and adult worm antigens of P cantonensis reacted with the sera of all the parasitologically proven patients and 4 out of the 8 presumptive patients, but not with those of other parasitic infection or healthy individuals. This 31 kDa P. cantonensis antigen is a potential candidate for the specific immunodiagnosis of human parastrongyliasis.
KEYWORDS: Parastrongylus cantonensis, parasite antigens, immunodiagnosis
