Further purification and characterization of a circulating antigen in schistosomiasis.

Previous studies showed that an antigen found in the circulation of animals heavily infected with Schistosoma mansoni was extracted in a trichloroacetic acid soluble-chloroform insoluble fraction (TCA-S-C) of adult worms. Antigenic activity was destroyed by periodate treatment but remained unaltered after treatment with proteolytic enzymes, DNase, RNase, and lyophilization. In the present study, chromatography of TCA-S-C on a DEAE cellulose column revealed six substances, one of which was antigenic. After electrophoresis in agarose antigenic activity corresponded to a slower moving, toluidine blue-staining material. A faster moving, toluidine blue-staining substance seems to be responsible for the large 260 nm, absorbing peak. Analysis of a fraction containing only antigen revealed a large amount of carbohydrate, primarily N-acetylglucosamine and D-glucuronic acid but also galactase, glucose, N-acetylglucosamine, and trace amounts of other sugars. Amino acids accounted for about 11% of the weight of the antigen. The antigen appears to be a proteoglycan.