A recombinant antigen recognized by Fasciola hepatica-infected hosts.
This work reports the detection of specific immunoglobulins (Ig) against rFh8, a recombinant Fasciola hepatica adult worm excretion-secretion antigen, in sera from experimentally (rabbit, Wistar rat, cattle, and sheep), or naturally (human) infected hosts. In the case of laboratory experimental models the study revealed significant differences between rabbits, which recognized the recombinant antigen all along the infection, and Wistar rats, which showed high anti-rFh8 Ig levels only for a short period of the infection. Available sera from experimentally infected cattle and sheep, as well as sera from naturally F. hepatica-infected humans, also contained significant levels of Ig against rFh8, suggesting that Fh8 was produced by F. hepatica at a very early stage of infection in all hosts so far analyzed and that the rFh8 antigen could be used as a tool for the diagnosis of F. hepatica infections.
Silva
Elisabete
E
Laboratório de Parasitologia, Centro de Imunologia e Biologia Parasitária, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr. Ricardo Jorge do Porto, Rua de São Luís N(o) 16, 4000-509 Porto, Portugal.
Castro
Antonio
A
Lopes
António
A
Rodrigues
Artur
A
Dias
César
C
Conceição
Antónia
A
Alonso
José
J
Correia da Costa
J M
JM
Bastos
Maria
M
Parra
Francisco
F
Moradas-Ferreira
Pedro
P
Silva
Maria
M
D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000276:immunology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005210:Fasciola hepatica / Q000276:immunology*; D005211:Fascioliasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D007106:Immune Sera; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins