MORPHOLOGIC, BIOMETRIC, AND ISOENZYME CHARACTERIZATION OF TRICHURIS-SUIS

Trichuris suis isolates were collected from the cecum of Sus scrofa do mestica (pig) and S. s. scrofa (wild boar). Morphology and biometry st udies were carried out. Morphology studies showed the existence of typ ical caudal papillae in males of T. suis from wild boars, but no other difference was observed in the biometric parameters (total length, es ophageal length, posterior-portion body length, and spicular length) o f T. suis isolated from either host. Individual extracts were subjecte d to malate dehydrogenase (MDH), malic enzyme (ME), glucose 6-phosphat e dehydrogenase (G6PD), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and superoxide di smutase (SOD) isoenzyme analysis following starch-gel electrophoresis, and the isoenzyme patterns were compared with those obtained from oth er species of trichurids. MDH, ME, G6PD, LDH, and SOD isoenzyme patter ns were identical for T. suis from both hosts. MDH isoenzyme patterns were characterized by the presence of one cathodic isoenzyme. ME, G6PD , and LDH isoenzyme patterns indicated the presence of three phenotype s, whereas the SOD isoenzyme pattern showed only one phenotype charact erized by the existence of two (anodic and cathodic) bands. Different LDH and SOD isoenzyme patterns observed for T. suis T. ovis, and T. sk rjabini confirm once more that isoenzyme patterns have potential as a diagnostic tool for differentiation of different species of Trichuris.