Schistosoma mansoni: IgG reactivity to soluble adult worm antigen preparation (SWAP) in sera of immunized mice with irradiated attenuated and virulent cercariae
Hanna, L.S.; Mohamed, M.I.; Botros, S.S.
Journal of the Egyptian Society of Parasitology 24(3): 553-568
1994
ISSN/ISBN: 1110-0583 PMID: 7844419 Document Number: 428646
Antigens that elicited a unique immune response in the immunized host against Schistosoma mansoni were identified and the differences in immune response to these antigens in mice immunized with radiation-attenuated cercariae or virulent cercariae were compared. Immunoblotting was used to monitor the specificity of host IgG to soluble adult worm antigen preparation (SWAP), separated by SDS-PAGE, in the sera of different groups of mice. Data from this study showed that mice immunized with virulent or irradiation-attenuated cercariae showed a 74.7% and 68.3% reduction in worm burden, respectively. The sera of non-immunized mice precipitated non-immunogenic proteins of 87 000 and 83 000 MW. SWAP proteins of 106 000 and 97 000 MW were identified only by the sera of mice vaccinated with irradiated cercariae, whether challenged or not. Resistant sera from animals immunized either by irradiated cercariae or virulent cercariae recognized low molecular weight antigens that ranged from 34 000 to 52 000 MW as well as 57 000 MW. This indicated that the 106 000 and 97 000 MW antigens might be the target antigens for protection by irradiation-attenuated cercariae, while the marker of resistance induced by attenuated or virulent cercariae might be the 34 000 to 52 000 and 75 000 MW antigens.