Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Immunology logoLink to Immunology
. 1973 Mar;24(3):567–577.

The allergens of Schistosoma mansoni

I. Initial separation and comparative assay

W G Harris
PMCID: PMC1422960  PMID: 4122335

Abstract

Ten antigen fractions were prepared from adult Schistosoma mansoni by extraction into borate-buffered saline, precipitation at pH 4.6 and separation on Sephadex G-100. The allergic activity of these antigens was assayed by a modified Prausnitz—Kustner type reaction in rats; this test system was found to be sensitive and consistent, allowing differences in allergenicity between antigens to be accurately assessed.

Skin-reactivity was detected in both acid-soluble and acid-insoluble fractions. Specific allergenicity was located in peak 3 of a G-100 separation of the acid-soluble fraction and in peaks 1 and 2 of a G-100 separation of the acid-insoluble fraction suggesting that the allergens of S. mansoni were of at least two types: (1) a protein of mol. wt above 150,000 precipitated at pH 4.6, and (2) a protein of mol. wt 20–30,000 remaining in solution at this pH.

It is suggested that both these allergens are glycoproteins. Non-specific histamine-releasing agents were found in peak 1 of the G-100 separation of the acid-soluble material.

Full text

PDF
567

Images in this article

569FIG. 1
on p.569

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aas K., Jebsen J. W. Studies of hypersensitivity to fish. Partial purification and crystallization of a major allergenic component of cod. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1967;32(1):1–20. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Fife E. H., Jr Advances in methodology for immunodiagnosis of parasitic diseases. Exp Parasitol. 1971 Aug;30(1):132–163. doi: 10.1016/0014-4894(71)90079-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Ford G. E. Heterogeneity of allergens from, and homocytotropic antibody to, a gastro-intestinal nematode of rabbits. Immunology. 1971 Dec;21(6):1073–1078. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Hogarth-Scott R. S. Homocytotropic antibody in sheep. Immunology. 1969 Apr;16(4):543–548. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hsü H. F., Hsü S. Y. Reagin-like antibody in Rhesus monkeys immune to Schistosoma japonicum. Z Tropenmed Parasitol. 1966 Jul;17(2):166–176. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Keller R., Jones V. E. Immune reactions to Nippostrongylus brasiliensis in the rat. Immunological and pharmacological analysis of primary and secondary immune response. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1971;41(1):86–87. doi: 10.1159/000230491. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. King T. P., Norman P. S., Lichtenstein L. M. Isolation and characterization of allergens from ragweed pollen. IV. Biochemistry. 1967 Jul;6(7):1992–2000. doi: 10.1021/bi00859a017. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kloetzel K., da Silva J. R. Schistosomiasis mansoni acquired in adulthood: behavior of egg counts and the intradermal test. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1967 Mar;16(2):167–169. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1967.16.167. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Marsh D. G., Milner F. H., Johnson P. The allergenic activity and stability of purified allergens from the pollen of common rye grass (lolium perenne). Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1966;29(6):521–535. doi: 10.1159/000229739. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Morse H. C., 3rd, Austen K. F., Bloch K. J. Biologic properties of rat antibodies. 3. Histamine release mediated by two classes of antibodies. J Immunol. 1969 Feb;102(2):327–337. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. RIEBER S., ANDERSON R. I., RADKE M. G. Serologic diagnosis of Schistosoma mansoni infections. III. Isolation and purification of antigen from adult S. mansoni for the complement fixation test. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1961 May;10:351–355. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Reid R. T., Minden P., Farr R. S. Reaginic activity associated with IgG immunoglobulin. J Exp Med. 1966 May 1;123(5):845–858. doi: 10.1084/jem.123.5.845. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Sato K., Sawada T., Sato S. Studies on the purification of skin test antigen SST for the diagnosis of Schistosomiasis japonica. II. The purification of antigen SST by disc-sephadex G25 column electrophoresis and disc electrophoresis. Jpn J Exp Med. 1969 Aug;39(4):347–353. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Smith D. H., Wilson T., Berezancev J. A., Lykov V., Paing M., Chari M. V., Davis A. Evaluation of the Dirofilaria immitis filarial skin test antigen in the diagnosis of filariasis. Bull World Health Organ. 1971;44(6):771–782. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Smithers S. R., Terry R. J. The immunology of schistosomiasis. Adv Parasitol. 1969;7:41–93. doi: 10.1016/s0065-308x(08)60434-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Williams J. E., Moose J. W., Sawada T., Takei K., Sato S. Studies on the immunodiagnosis of schistosomiasis. I. Intradermal skin tests with fractionated antigens. J Infect Dis. 1965 Oct;115(4):382–386. doi: 10.1093/infdis/115.4.382. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Wilson R. J. Homocytotropic antibody response to the nematode Nippostrongylus brasiliensis in the rat--studies on the worm antigen. J Parasitol. 1967 Aug;53(4):752–762. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Immunology are provided here courtesy of British Society for Immunology

RESOURCES