Immunodiagnosis of fasciolosis in horses and pigs using western blots.

The research paper discusses the use of western blot analysis with specific antigens for the sensitive and specific diagnosis of a liver disease known as fasciolosis in horses and pigs.

Research Detail

• The researchers focused on diagnosing a disease caused by a liver parasite, Fasciola hepatica or commonly known as liver fluke, in horses and pigs. The infection caused by this parasite is termed fasciolosis.
• For the purpose of this study, both somatic (S) and excretory-secretory (ES) antigens of Fasciola hepatica were used. Antigens are substances that induce an immune response, specifically, by producing antibodies. Somatic antigens are derived from the body components of the parasite, while excretory/secretory antigens are the products released or excreted by the live parasites.
• The study involved testing the sera (blood without clotting factors) of 20 horses and 20 pigs, both infected with F. hepatica and not infected. Sera from two pigs infected with a different parasite, Cysticercus cellulosae, was also included.
• Western blot analysis technique was used as it is a powerful and commonly used tool for identifying and quantifying proteins. It’s used for detecting specific proteins (in this case, antigens) in a sample of tissue homogenate or extract.

Findings

• Western blot analysis of crude S antigens with horse and pig sera revealed a specific reaction with a range of polypeptides (chains of amino acids) from 14-19, 22-30, 35-37 and 42 kDa (kilodalton- unit of molecular weight). Crude ES antigens with horse and pig sera showed reactivity with polypeptides of 14-17, 22-30 and 40-42 kDa.
• These reactions were absent in the samples from uninfected horses and pigs and pigs infected with Cysticercus cellulosae, this suggests that these reactions are specific for Fasciola hepatica.
• The study highlighted the 22-30 kDa polypeptides to be promising candidate antigens for the specific and sensitive immunodiagnosis of fasciolosis in horses and pigs due to their high specificity and sensitivity.

Implications and Future Scope

• Specific antigens derived from parasites can be effectively used to diagnose the respective infection in the host. The 22-30 kDa polypeptides can serve as effective markers for the detection of F. hepatica infection.
• These findings can be used for the development of a diagnostic tool, which can increase the accuracy and speed of diagnosing fasciolosis in horses and pigs.
• Since the polypeptides detection is host specific, this study paves the way for future research in identifying and determining specific antigens for other parasites for diagnostic purposes.