title: Specific IgG4 response directed against the 45-kDa glycoprotein in trichinellosis: a re-evaluation of patients 15 years after infection.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the humoral immune response in late human trichinellosis with particular attention to the presence of IgG4 antibodies directed against the Trichinella-45-kDa glycoprotein (gp). This study re-evaluates subjects 15 years after they were involved in a trichinellosis outbreak that occurred in Central Italy following the consumption of raw boar meat infected with Trichinella britovi. The results show that ELISA tests using the E/S antigen identified five IgM- and eight IgG-positive patients and no IgA-positive patients. Tests using immunoblot (IB) with E/S antigens identified three IgM-, five IgA-, seven- IgG1- and three IgG4-positive sera. When the purified 45-kDa gp was used as an antigen, the IB revealed that six of the ten sera tested were positive for IgG4. Sera were also evaluated with a commercial kit, revealing that 11 of 12 patients had a highly sensitive reactivity against Trichinella proteins (64 and 44-43 kDa). In conclusion, humoral immune response against Trichinella is still present in these patients 15 years after the initial infection, including an IgG4 response directed to the 45-kDa gp.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Diagnostic Laboratory for Infectious Diseases and Perinatal Screening (LIS), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pinelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mommers
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Kortbeek
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Castagna
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Piergili-Fioretti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bruschi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007558:Italy; D014234:Trichinella / Q000276:immunology*; D014235:Trichinellosis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D006023:Glycoproteins; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; C411064:glycoprotein 45-kDa, Trichinella