ANTIBODY-RESPONSES IN THE WILD VOLE, CLETHRIONOMYS-RUFOCANUS BEDFORDIAE, NATURALLY INFECTED WITH ECHINOCOCCUS-MULTILOCULARIS BY WESTERN BLOTTING

Antibody responses against crude antigens and the two (Em18 and Em16) epitopes of Echinococcus multilocularis were analysed by Western blott ing using sera from the wild vole, Clethrionomys rufocanus bedfordiae (Crb), which were captured in Hokkaido, Japan and found to have been n aturally infected with eggs, and compared with those in patients of AH D and mice experimentally infected with protoscoleces of this parasite . Antibody responses in the wild vole were demonstrated most clearly w ith anti-Crb-IgG antiserum but more faintly with anti-rat-IgG antiseru m and poorly with anti-mouse-IgG or anti-human-IgG antisera or Protein G. Although only two serum samples of the wild vole found naturally i nfected were analysed, antibody responses against Em18 and Em16 in the se voles appeared to be similar to those in AHD patients but differed from those in mice.