Taenia solium: Molecular cloning and serologic evaluation of 14-and 18-kDarelated, diagnostic antigens

We are attempting to design a simpler assay based on synthetic or recombina nt antigens to replace the labor-intensive enzyme-linked immunoelectrotrans fer blot (EITB-C), which is currently used to diagnose Taenia solium cystic ercosis. From the lentil lectin-bound fraction of cyst glycoproteins (the L LGP fraction used in the EITB-C), we previously identified and purified 2 r elated polypeptides of 14- and 18-kDa that demonstrated diagnostic usefulne ss. Using degenerate oligonucleotide primers corresponding to amino acid se quences of these polypeptides and a cDNA library prepared from T. solium cy sticerci, we amplified cDNA clones that represent the 14- and 18-kDa polype ptides. These clones share sequence homology at the nucleotide and amino ac id levels. Synthetic polypeptides that represented the full-length, mature proteins (sTS14 and sTS18) were assessed for serologic potential using an E LISA. sTS14, but not sTS18, demonstrated utility as a diagnostic antigen, s TS14 was recognized by antibodies in a majority of the sera from patients w ith cysticercosis and none of the sera from persons with other helminth inf ections or uninfected human sera. Furthermore, polyclonal antibodies to sTS 14 reacted with 6 discrete proteins present in the LLGP cyst fraction, sugg esting that TS14 is a subunit of other previously described antigens used f or diagnosing cysticercosis.