Profiles of immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG antibodies against defined carbohydrate epitopes in sera of Schistosoma-infected individuals determined bysurface plasmon resonance

We report here that sera of children and adults infected with Schistosoma m ansoni, S. haematobium, or S. japonicum contain antibodies against GalNAc b eta1-4(Fuc alpha1-2Fuc alpha1-3) GlcNAc (LDN-DF) and to a lesser extent to Gal beta1-4(Fuc alpha1-3) GlcNAc (Lewis(x)) and GalNAc beta1-4GlcNAc (LDN). Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy was used to monitor the prese nce of serum antibodies to neoglycoconjugates containing these carbohydrate epitopes and to define the immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG subclass distrib ution of the antibodies. The serum levels of antibodies to LDN-DF are high related to LDN and Lewis(x) for all examined groups of Schistosoma-infected individuals. A higher antibody response to the LDN DF epitope was found in sera of infected children than in sera of infected adults regardless of th e schistosome species. With respect to the subclasses, we found surprisingl y that individuals infected with S. japonicum have predominantly IgG antibo dies, while individuals infected with S. mansoni mainly show an IgM respons e; high levels of both isotypes were measured in sera of individuals infect ed with S. haematobium. These data provide new insights in the human humora l immune response to schistosome derived glycans.