Boto W M, D'Antonio R, Levy D A
J Immunol. 1984 Aug;133(2):981-7.
The limited accessibility of specimens of Onchocerca volvulus has hampered investigations of factors that determine the clinical course of infection of man by this filarial nematode. Parasites antigenically related to O. volvulus have been variously proposed as alternative sources of test antigens. The present study has utilized serologic methods to probe the degree of identity of the antigenic constituents of O. volvulus and Dirofilaria immitis, the dog heartworm. 35S-methionine-labeled proteins of dog heartworm microfilariae (mf) were analyzed in immunoprecipitation assays by using a panel of sera drawn from humans diagnosed for onchocerciasis and from canines infected with D. immitis. Unique and common antigens detected by these sera were resolved in polyacrylamide gels. The majority of high-titered human and infected dog sera reacted with antigenic molecules estimated at 15, 16, 28, 42, 54, 66, and 100 kilodaltons. In addition, a subset of these sera detected large amounts of a 75 kilodalton antigen. Human anti-O. volvulus antibodies were found to bind to intact glutaraldehyde-fixed mf of D. immitis in immunoperoxidase assays. In enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, the same sera reacted with extracts of three distinct developmental stages of the canine pathogen--namely, the mf, embryonated eggs, and adult worms. Preincubation of dirofilarial antigens with human anti-O. volvulus sera inhibited the binding of dog anti-heartworm serum by as much as 70%. Sera of guinea pigs hyperimmunized with mf of O. volvulus inhibited the binding of the immune dog serum to the same extent. These results represent evidence for extensive homology in the antigenic composition of O. volvulus and D. immitis.
盘尾丝虫标本获取有限，阻碍了对决定人类感染这种丝虫线虫临床病程因素的研究。与盘尾丝虫抗原相关的寄生虫已被不同地提议作为检测抗原的替代来源。本研究利用血清学方法探究盘尾丝虫和犬恶丝虫（犬心丝虫）抗原成分的相同程度。通过使用一组来自被诊断为盘尾丝虫病的人类以及感染犬恶丝虫的犬类的血清，在免疫沉淀试验中分析了犬心丝虫微丝蚴（mf）的35S-甲硫氨酸标记蛋白。这些血清检测到的独特和共同抗原在聚丙烯酰胺凝胶中得到分辨。大多数高滴度的人类和感染犬血清与估计分子量为15、16、28、42、54、66和100千道尔顿的抗原分子发生反应。此外，这些血清中的一部分检测到大量75千道尔顿的抗原。在免疫过氧化物酶试验中，发现人类抗盘尾丝虫抗体与完整的戊二醛固定的犬恶丝虫微丝蚴结合。在酶联免疫吸附试验中，相同的血清与犬病原体三个不同发育阶段的提取物发生反应，即微丝蚴、胚胎化卵和成虫。用人类抗盘尾丝虫血清对犬恶丝虫抗原进行预温育，可使犬抗心丝虫血清的结合抑制高达70%。用盘尾丝虫微丝蚴超免疫的豚鼠血清也能在相同程度上抑制免疫犬血清的结合。这些结果表明盘尾丝虫和犬恶丝虫的抗原组成存在广泛的同源性。
