title: ABO System: molecular mimicry of Ascaris lumbricoides.
abstract: A. lumbricoides has been associated to the ABO System by various authors. The objective was to detect ABO System epitopes in A. lumbricoides of groups O, A, B and AB patients. 28 adult parasites were obtained from children to be used as assay material. The patients ABO blood groups were determined. Extracts of A. lumbricoides [AE] were prepared by surgical remotion of the cuticle and refrigerated mechanical rupture. Agglutination Inhibition (AI) and Hemoagglutination Kinetics (HK) tests were used with the [AE]. Of the 28 [AE], eight belonged to O group patients, 15 to A group, three to B group and the remaining two to AB children. The AI Test showed A epitopes in two [AE] of group A patients and B epitopes in two [AE] of group B patients. The HK Test showed B antigenic determiners in two [AE] of group B patients and in two [AE] of group AB patients as well as A antigenic determiners in one [AE] of A group patient. Of the 28 [AE] studied in both tests B epitopes were detected in all [AE] from B and AB patients and A epitopes in three of the 15 [AE] of group A patients. The experiments carried out suggest that A. lumbricoides might absorb A and B antigens from the host, and/or modify the cuticular carbohydrates expression as a kind of antigenic mimicry.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ponce de León
authors.forename: Juana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Valverde
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000276:immunology*; D017164:Ascaris lumbricoides / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis*; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D018716:Molecular Mimicry / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D000939:Epitopes