title: IgE response in schistosomiasis japonica: characterization of a cercarial allergen in comparison with purified egg allergens.
abstract: The relationship between the cercarial allergen and two previously isolated egg allergens (J1, J2) of Schistosoma japonicum was examined especially in terms of the cross-reactivity between them. Semi-purified cercarial allergen (JAC) was obtained from the crude extract of S. japonicum cercariae by gel chromatography on Sephadex G-200. The apparent molecular weight of JAC was estimated approximately as 60-100 kDa. JAC could bind to Con A-Sepharose, indicating its glycoprotein nature. Three groups of BALB/c mice were immunized with JAC , J1 or J2 using A1(OH)3 as adjuvant, and the cross-reactivity of each anti-serum was examined by PCA. Anti-JAC, anti-J1 or anti-J2 serum was highly specific to the corresponding antigen. When IgE-ELISA of S. japonicum patient sera was performed using JAC, J1 or J2 as an antigen, the correlation between anti-J1 and anti-J2 (r = 0.78) was high, whereas the correlation between anti-JAC and anti-J1 (r = 0.27) or between anti-JAC and anti-J2 (r = 0.12) was low. These results suggest that most IgE epitopes on cercarial allergen are independent from those on egg allergens in S. japonicum.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokushima, Minami-Johsanjima, Tokushima 770, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Owhashi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Horii
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ishii
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000032:analysis*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010063:Ovum / Q000276:immunology; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000276:immunology*; D012554:Schistosomiasis japonica / Q000276:immunology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D000939:Epitopes; D007073:Immunoglobulin E