title: Assessment of the prevalence and titer of antibodies to a candidate schistosomiasis vaccine molecule, Sj26, in several human serum banks.
abstract: Using immunoassay and immunoblotting approaches, antibodies to Sj26, a glutathione S-transferase molecule (Mr = 26,000) of Schistosoma japonicum worms that is a vaccine candidate, have been sought in three large human serum banks. For these studies, a near-native recombinant Sj26 molecule produced in Escherichia coli was used, generally in ELISAs. Anti-Sj26 activity was detected readily in a high proportion of the sera at titres below 1:400 and appeared to be largely protein A-binding IgG antibodies. No differences in the prevalence of anti-Sj26 antibodies were noted in sera from entirely normal individuals or those with a variety of parasitic infections, but never exposed to S. japonicum. The stimulus responsible for induction of these low titre, probably low affinity antibodies in humans remains unknown.
authors.affiliation: University of Melbourne Veterinary Clinical Centre, Werribee, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Lightowlers
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000032:analysis*; D001771:Blood Banks; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012549:Schistosoma japonicum / Q000276:immunology*; D014612:Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D014612:Vaccines; D005982:Glutathione Transferase