Application of the western blotting procedure for the immunodiagnosis of human toxocariasis

Parasitol Res. 1991;77(8):697-702. doi: 10.1007/BF00928685.

Abstract

To improve the immunodiagnosis of human toxocaral disease, a sensitive and specific assay using the Western blotting procedure (WB) with excretory-secretory antigens from Toxocara canis larvae (TES) was developed and compared with the standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method (TES-ELISA) using the same antigens. We tested groups of sera from laboratory animals or patients presenting with toxocariasis or other helminthic diseases and a group of sera from people dwelling in an area endemic for toxocariasis who exhibited hypereosinophilia. Statistically, the WB assay correlated well with TES-ELISA, but the former was more specific for banding patterns corresponding to low-molecular-weight fractions, thus avoiding problems of cross-reactivity with sera infected with other helminthic diseases.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Helminth / blood*
  • Antigens, Helminth / immunology*
  • Blotting, Western*
  • Cross Reactions
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Humans
  • Macaca fascicularis
  • Muridae
  • Pan troglodytes
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Rabbits
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred Strains
  • Sheep
  • Toxocara / immunology*
  • Toxocariasis / diagnosis*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Helminth
  • Antigens, Helminth