Immunological diagnosis of human hydatid cyst using Western immunoblotting technique.
BACKGROUND
Echinococcosis is a parasitic disease with worldwide distribution which is caused by the tapewormsEchinococcus granulosus. Diagnosis of the disease relies on imaging techniques, but the techniques are not able to differentiate the cyst from benign or malignant tumors; hence, appropriate serologic methods are required for the differential diagnosis of the infection.


METHODS
In this investigation, different sheep hydatid cyst antigens probed with thirty sera of patients with hydatid cyst and also thirty human normal sera using Western immunoblotting technique. Considering results of surgery as gold standard, sensitivity and specificity of Western blotting was estimated.


RESULTS
Sera of 29, 26, and 16 patients with hydatid cyst reacted with specific bands of hydatid cyst fluid (HCF), protoscolex crude antigen, and cyst wall crude antigen, respectively. However, none of the normal human sera reacted with those specific bands.


CONCLUSIONS
A 20 kDa band of sheep HCF is an appropriate antigen for serodiagnosis of hydatid cyst infection.
Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Mahboubeh
M
Hadipour
Department of Surgery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Mohammad
M
Nazari
Department of Surgery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Behnam
B
Sanei
Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Zahra
Z
Ghayour
Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Seyedeh Maryam
SM
Sharafi
Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Hajar
H
Yazdani
Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Hossein Yousofi
HY
Darani
Antigen; Western immunoblotting; cyst wall; hydatid cyst fluid; protoscolex