REACTIVITY OF FRACTIONATED EGG ANTIGENS OF SCHISTOSOMA MANS ON I WITH SERA OF PATIENTS INFECTED WITH S. HAEMATOBIUM

Abstract

Serologically reactive antigens, extracted from eggs of Schistosoma mansoni in the liver of infected mice, were tested for cross-reactivity using the microtitre enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Four reactive antigens, namely SEA(M) SEA(P)M, MSA-M and SEAM-8U, were isolated from S. mansoni ova subjected to the various extraction procedures used. The test sera were obtained from Egyptian patients and Nigerian school children with S. haematobium and S. mansoni infections, and American controls with or without parasitic infections other than schistosomiasis. ^ Attempts to extract antigens from eggs of S\haematobium in urine were unsuccessful The sera from all the Egyptian paticnt^th.. severe chronic 5. mansoni infection were positive with all the antigens. All the Egyptian severe^ chronic cases of 5. haematobium inftfcti&ns reacted with MSA-M. ' . Only 68% of the sera from Nigerians with-.S.haematobium infection rcactcd with MSA-M. The other antigenic fractions (SEA M, SEA(P)M;) were less reactive with not only the sera of the Nigerian children but also to a lesser degree with Egyptian sera from patients with S. haematobium infections. Cross-rcact.v.ty was lowest in the urea soluble antigen (SEA-M-8U) with sera from patients with echinococcosis, amocbiasis and trichinosis