Preliminary antigenic characterisation of an adult worm vomit preparation of Fasciola hepatica by infected human sera

Detection of Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica common and uncommon antigens, using rabbit hyper immune serum raised against their excretory-secretory and somatic antigens

Fasciolosis is an important neglected helminth disease caused by two liver flukes, Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica. The two species of Fasciola are usually different in their morphological and molecular features. They have also common and uncommon antigens in both their somatic and excretory secretory metabolites. In this study, we compared somatic and excretory-secretory (ES) antigens of F. hepatica and F. gigantica, by using rabbit hyper immune serum raised against these antigens. Adult worms were collected from bile ducts of infected animals and species of the fluke was confirmed by RFLP-PCR. ES and somatic antigens of both species were prepared. Rabbits were subcutaneously immunized with either ES or somatic antigens to produce antibodies against these antigens. SDS-PAGE pattern of F. hepatica and F. gigantica somatic antigens was similar and both of them revealed 30 protein bands, ranging from 18 to 180 kDa. In contrast, SDS-PAGE pattern of ES antigen of the two species was different. While protein bands with molecular weight of 18, 27, 29, 48, and 62 kDa were common in both species, bands of 19, 45, 55 and 58 kDa were only noticed in F. hepatica ES antigen. Rabbit polyclonal antibodies, raised against F. hepatica and F. gigantica ES antigen, reacted with main five protein bands, 25, 27, 29, 62 and 67 kDa and polyclonal antibodies raised against somatic antigens of both species reacted with three protein bands, 25, 27 and 72 kDa. Thus, the 25, 27 and 29 kDa protein bands may serve as immunodominant antigens, which might be considered for serodiagnosis of fasciolosis. Moreover, bands of 62 and 67 kDa in ES antigen and 72 kDa in somatic antigens of both species were immunodominant and might be suitable candidate for development of serological assays for diagnosis of fasciolosis.

Techniques for the diagnosis of Fasciola infections in animals: room for improvement

The common liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica, causes fascioliasis, a significant disease in mammals, including livestock, wildlife and humans, with a major socioeconomic impact worldwide. In spite of its impact, and some advances towards the development of vaccines and new therapeutic agents, limited attention has been paid to the need for practical and reliable methods for the diagnosis of infection or disease. Accurate diagnosis is central to effective control, particularly given an emerging problem with drug resistance in F. hepatica. Traditional coprological techniques have been widely used, but are often unreliable. Although there have been some advances in establishing immunologic techniques, these tools can suffer from a lack of diagnostic specificity and/or sensitivity. Nonetheless, antigen detection tests seem to have considerable potential, but have not yet been adequately evaluated in the field. Moreover, advanced nucleic acid-based methods appear to offer the most promise for the diagnosis of current infection. This chapter (i) provides a brief account of the biology and significance of F. hepatica/fascioliasis, (ii) describes key techniques currently in use, (iii) compares their advantages/disadvantages and (iv) reviews polymerase chain reaction-based methods for specific diagnosis and/or the genetic characterization of Fasciola species.

Dot-blot immunoassay of Fasciola gigantica infection using 27 kDa and adult worm regurge antigens in Egyptian patients

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the potential role of the 27-Kilodalton (KDa) antigen versus Fasciola gigantica adult worm regurge antigens in a DOT-Blot assay and to assess this assay as a practical tool for diagnosis fascioliasis in Egyptian patients. Fasciola gigantica antigen of an approximate molecular mass 27-(KDa) was obtained from adult worms by a simple elution SDS-PAGE. A Dot-Blot was developed comparatively to adult worm regurge antigens for the detection of specific antibodies from patients infected with F. gigantica in Egypt. Control sera were obtained from patients with other parasitic infections and healthy volunteers to assess the test and compare between the antigens. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of Dot-Blot using the adult worm regurge were 80%, 90%, 94.1%, and 69.2% respectively, while those using 27-KDa were 100% which confirms the diagnostic potential of this antigen. All patients infected with Fasciola were positive, with cross reactivity reported with Schistosoma mansoni serum samples. This 27-KDa Dot-Blot assay showed to be a promising test which can be used for serodiagnosis of fascioliasis in Egyptian patients especially, those presenting with hepatic disease. It is specific, sensitive and easy to perform method for the rapid diagnosis particularly when more complex laboratory tests are unavailable.

Leucine aminopeptidase is an immunodominant antigen of Fasciola hepatica excretory and secretory products in human infections

The liver fluke Fasciola hepatica parasitizes humans and ruminant livestock worldwide, and it is now being considered a reemerging zoonotic disease, especially in areas in which it is endemic, such as South America. This study investigates the immune response to excretory and secretory products produced by F. hepatica in a group of patients from the Peruvian Altiplano, where the disease is highly endemic. Using a proteomic approach and immunoblotting techniques, we have identified the enzymes leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase as immunodominant antigens recognized by sera from fasciolosis patients. An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using recombinant LAP as the antigen was developed to check sera from individuals of this region. Our results demonstrate that LAP produces a specific and strong reaction, suggesting its potential use in the serologic diagnosis of F. hepatica infections in humans.