EVIDENTIATION OF PARAMYOSIN (SM-97) AS A MODULATING ANTIGEN ON GRANULOMATOUS HYPERSENSITIVITY TO SCHISTOSOMA-MANSONI EGGS

A Schistosoma mansoni adult worm anionic fraction (PIII) has previousl y been shown to protect mice against challenge infection and to reduce pulmonary and hepatic granulomatous hypersensitivity. Serum from PIII -immunized rabbit was used to screen a lambda gt11 cDNA library from S . mansoni adult worm in order to identify antigens capable of modulati ng granulomatous hypersensitivity. We obtained four clones with 400 (S m-III.11), 900 (Sm-III.16), 1100 (Sm-III.10) and 1300 (Sm-III.12) bp o f length. All clone-specific antibodies were able to recognize most of the PIII components. The sequence analysis showed that these clones p resented high homology with S. mansoni paramyosin (Sm-97). These findi ngs ascribe a new function to this antigen with an important role in m odulation of granulomatous hypersensitivity to S. mansoni eggs.