Caracterización de antígenos de bajo peso molecular de Angiostrongylus costaricensis, reconocidos durante una infección experimental en roedores

Abstract

The immune response to low molecular weight components of Angiostrongylus costaricensis somatic crude antigen was investigated. During the chronic phase of infection three immunodominant antigens: 20, 15 and 2 kDa, were recognized by IgG and IgGI using the Western blot method. In order to obtain the initial amino acid sequences of each recognized antigen, the Edmann digestion method was utilized. The sequence of 15 kDa antigen was found to have 100% homology with the Glutation-S-transferase enzyme of Brugia malayi and Onchocerca volvulus, and the sequence of 2 kDa antigen 95% homology with the Ubiquitine protein. For the 20 kDa antigen, a sequence of thirteen amino acids was obtained and it did not show homology to any protein described up to date. The cross reactivity to these components was weak, particularly to the 20 kDa component, to which no cross reactivity is detected. We propose further studies with human sera in order to investigate the usefulness of these antigen in the development of a specific diagnostic test for abdominal angiostrongylosis.