Excretory-secretory antigens of rodent filariid, Acanthocheilonema viteae and their cross-reaction with human filarial sera

In vitro released products of adult filariid Acanthocheilonema viteae were characterized according to their SDS-PAGE profiles and immune recognition patterns by infected mastomys and by human sera. Adult worms survived well in the serum free media (HBSS; Sigma) more than ten days. SDS-PAGE analysis of E/S antigens revealed the molecules between 70 and 54.5 kDa highly dominant whereas immune recognition with infected mastomys sera demonstrated the immunoreactivity in molecules present between 48.5 and 58 kDa. Many of these cross-reacted with W. bancrofti infected human sera showing the sharing of antigens by the two filariid species. 143, 96, 74, 62, 44 and two below 26.6 kDa of adult A. viteae E/S cross-reacted with human filarial sera. A number of molecules between 60 and 44 kDa were found reactive with both mastomys and human sera demonstrating their possible use in diagnosis. Presence of common antigens between the rodent and human filariid and their shared immunoreactivity demonstrate the usefulness of A. viteae antigens in diagnosis/prophylaxis of human filariasis.