Human serum albumin and immunoglobulin on Dracunculus medinensis

Dracunculus medinensis recovered from infected humans were examined for the occurrence and localization of human serum albumin and immunoglobulins. Im munoelectrophoretic examination of homogenates prepared from adult female w orms (ADGW) and first stage larvae (LVGW) showed that anti-human albumin an tibodies reacted to both stages of the parasite. By direct fluorescence ant ibody technique, antigens resembling human albumin and human immunoglobulin s (isotype IgG) were identified on the surface of adult female worms. The o ccurrence of host-like compounds on the parasites may be an adaptation for survival of the parasites. A possible interference of these compounds shoul d be considered in attempts to develop methods for immunological diagnosis of D. medinensis infections. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights rese rved.