Detection of Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica common and uncommon antigens, using rabbit hyper immune serum raised against their excretory–secretory and somatic antigens

Fasciolosis is an important neglected helminth disease caused by two liver flukes, Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica. The two species of Fasciola are usually different in their morphological and molecular features. They have also common and uncommon antigens in both their somatic and excretory secretory metabolites. In this study, we compared somatic and excretory–secretory (ES) antigens of F. hepatica and F. gigantica, by using rabbit hyper immune serum raised against these antigens. Adult worms were collected from bile ducts of infected animals and species of the fluke was confirmed by RFLP-PCR. ES and somatic antigens of both species were prepared. Rabbits were subcutaneously immunized with either ES or somatic antigens to produce antibodies against these antigens. SDS-PAGE pattern of F. hepatica and F. gigantica somatic antigens was similar and both of them revealed 30 protein bands, ranging from 18 to 180 kDa. In contrast, SDS-PAGE pattern of ES antigen of the two species was different. While protein bands with molecular weight of 18, 27, 29, 48, and 62 kDa were common in both species, bands of 19, 45, 55 and 58 kDa were only noticed in F. hepatica ES antigen. Rabbit polyclonal antibodies, raised against F. hepatica and F. gigantica ES antigen, reacted with main five protein bands, 25, 27, 29, 62 and 67 kDa and polyclonal antibodies raised against somatic antigens of both species reacted with three protein bands, 25, 27 and 72 kDa. Thus, the 25, 27 and 29 kDa protein bands may serve as immunodominant antigens, which might be considered for serodiagnosis of fasciolosis. Moreover, bands of 62 and 67 kDa in ES antigen and 72 kDa in somatic antigens of both species were immunodominant and might be suitable candidate for development of serological assays for diagnosis of fasciolosis.