HUMAN LUNG FLUKE PARAGONIMUS-HETEROTREMUS - DIFFERENTIAL-DIAGNOSIS BETWEEN PARAGONIMUS-HETEROTREMUS AND PARAGONIMUS-WESTERMANI INFECTIONS BY EITB

The specificity of three major polypeptides (35, 33 and 32.5 kD) from Paragonimus heterotremus antigens prepared from ether-extracted adult worms was tested against sera from heterologous infections as well as against P. westermani-infected sera. Only the 35 kD polypeptide was no t present, its antigenic determinant bring bound to the antibodies fro m all P. westermani-infected cases. Its cross-reactivity against vario us sera from heterologous helminthiases and other lung infections show ed that it is not bound to these antigenic polypeptides. These major b ands cannot be detected by Concanavalin A detector. Our research encou rages the pattern (35, 33 and 32.5 kD) of immunoblot reactions for the diagnosis of P. heterotremus infections; the 35 kD antigen is specifi c for corresponding species and able to differentiate infections betwe en both species of Paragonimus.