IMMUNE CHARACTERIZATION OF TAENIA-SOLIUM ONCOSPHERE AND METACESTODE ANTIGENS

A partial immunocharacterization of oncosphere and metacestode antigen s of Taenia solium was carried out and compared to antigens from other taeniid species. The results indicated that T. solium metacestode ant igen contained epitopes cross reactive with rabbit anti-sera to adult and oncospheral stages of the parasite. Oncospheres, however, consiste d largely of stage specific antigens. Western blot analysis indicated that T. solium and T. pisiformis shared several oncospheral antigens; however, this was not the case with T. solium and T. hydatigena. Weste rn blot analysis showed a time-related increase in the number of molec ules recognized by antibodies to T. solium oncosphere and metacestode antigens in pigs experimentally infected with T. solium eggs. Oncosphe re specific antibodies were detected in pig sera one month after exper imental infection whereas antibodies to cystic stage antigens were not present until the 3rd to 5th month post infection. Sera from neurocys ticercotic patients as well as naturally infected cysticercotic pigs r ecognized high molecular weight antigens in the oncospheres.