title: Immune responses of Texel sheep to excretory/secretory products of adult Haemonchus contortus.
abstract: The excretory/secretory (E/S) products of adult Haemonchus contortus comprise of at least 15 polypeptides with molecular weights ranging from 10 to > 100 kDa. These E/S products induce an immune response in infected Texel sheep, as demonstrated by specific IgG1 levels and a significant lymphocyte proliferation index. Moreover, immunoblotting analysis revealed that sera of primary H. contortus-infected sheep specifically recognize a 24 kDa E/S product. In addition, sera of challenged sheep react strongly with a 15 kDa E/S product. The other E/S products of H. contortus showed immunoreactivity with serum samples of Haemonchus-infected sheep as well as with samples of sheep harbouring other trichostrongylid infections. These cross-reacting epitopes are the main cause of the lack of specificity of an E/S material-based ELISA. This ELISA can differentiate Haemonchus infections from Nematodirus battus infections, but not from Ostertagia circumcincta or Trichostrongylus colubriformis infections.
authors.affiliation: Utrecht University, Department of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Schallig
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: van Leeuwen
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Hendrikx
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood*; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003429:Cross Reactions; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006188:Haemonchiasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006189:Haemonchus / Q000276:immunology*; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008970:Molecular Weight; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D000939:Epitopes; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D007106:Immune Sera; D007074:Immunoglobulin G