A Study on The Development of Immunological Method(s) For The Detection of Fascioliasis

Abstract

Fascioliasis is a chronic helminthic disease with a worldwide distribution, caused by the hermaphrodite trematode Fasciola. It is a primary zoonotic disease causing major morbidity and mortality in domestic ruminants leading to serious economic losses. Human fascioliasis; once a relatively uncommon disease; is now being reported in a steadily rising rate allover the world. However, the incidence of this disease may be underscored due to difficulties in the available diagnostic procedures. Routine diagnosis of fascioliasis (which is based on stool analysis to detect the diagnostic ova) is unreliable and suffers from several drawbacks where; 1- ova are not detected in stool in early stages of the disease, 2- ova are shed down in stool only intermittently, 3- low count of worms is usually found in infected liver, and hence the egg load in stool is usually scanty. Another approach for diagnosis of human fascioliasis is based on serological detection of Fasciola-specific antigens or antibodies. This approach is very specific but suffers from some limitations, namely, time-, equipment-, and money-consumption. The present work aimed at the development of new formats for rapid, efficient and specific diagnosis of fascioliasis based on both microsphere (latex) agglutination and immunochromatography lateral flow systems. Crude ES antigens of both F. hepatica and F. gigantica were investigated using SDS-PAGE. Gels showed prominent protein bands in the region of 25-27 K.Da. Ouchterlony double immuno-diffusion revealed complete identity between precipitin lines developed by each extract versus its respective rabbit antiserum. The extracts were studied by GS-SDS-PAGE to demonstrate their protease enzymatic activities.