Application of the western blotting procedure for the immunodiagnosis of human toxocariasis.
To improve the immunodiagnosis of human toxocaral disease, a sensitive and specific assay using the Western blotting procedure (WB) with excretory-secretory antigens from Toxocara canis larvae (TES) was developed and compared with the standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method (TES-ELISA) using the same antigens. We tested groups of sera from laboratory animals or patients presenting with toxocariasis or other helminthic diseases and a group of sera from people dwelling in an area endemic for toxocariasis who exhibited hypereosinophilia. Statistically, the WB assay correlated well with TES-ELISA, but the former was more specific for banding patterns corresponding to low-molecular-weight fractions, thus avoiding problems of cross-reactivity with sera infected with other helminthic diseases.
Magnaval
J F
JF
Laboratoire de Parasitologie, CHU Toulouse Purpan, France.
Fabre
R
R
Maurières
P
P
Charlet
J P
JP
de Larrard
B
B
D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood*; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000276:immunology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D009115:Muridae; D002679:Pan troglodytes; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012756:Sheep; D014119:Toxocara / Q000276:immunology*; D014120:Toxocariasis / Q000175:diagnosis*
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000947:Antigens, Helminth