Studying antigenicity and immunogenicity of Echinococcus granulosus metabolites

Abstract

Antigenicity and immunogenicity of Echinococcus granulosus excretory-secretory antigen (ES-Ag) were studied to identify proteins that can be used in the development of test-system for the detection of dogs infested with echinococcosis. Five and/or two dogs were infected orally with viable E.granulosus protoscoleces and/or Cysticercus tenuicolis, obtained from infested sheep at a slaughterhouse. ES-Ag of E.granulosus protoscoleces and its adult form, obtained in vitro, possessed pronounced antigenicity towards antisera of infected dogs. Anti-echinococcus sera reacted equally with larvae ES-Ag of two closely related tapeworms. At the same time, antibodies of dogs infected with echinococcosis allowed to differentiate ES-Ag of adult helminths. Taenia hydatigena ES-Ag was also characterized by the antigenicity that intensified with the development of the invasion process. It was found that anti-T. hydatigena serum cross-reacted with adult echinococcus significantly weaker than vice versa. The protein fractions of the tapeworms that are immunogenic for rabbits were establashed.