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Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, November 2009, p. 1563-1568, Vol. 16, No. 11
1071-412X/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CVI.00251-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Differentiation of Larva Migrans Caused by Baylisascaris procyonis and Toxocara Species by Western Blotting{triangledown}

Sriveny Dangoudoubiyam* and Kevin R. Kazacos

Department of Comparative Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907

Received 11 June 2009/ Returned for modification 10 July 2009/ Accepted 31 August 2009

Baylisascaris procyonis and Toxocara species are two important causes of larva migrans in humans. Larva migrans caused by Toxocara spp. is well known and is diagnosed serologically by enzyme immunoassay. Over a dozen cases of larva migrans and associated eosinophilic encephalitis caused by B. procyonis have also been reported, and at least a dozen additional cases are known. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using the excretory-secretory (ES) antigen of B. procyonis larvae is currently being used in our laboratory as an aid in the diagnosis of this infection in humans. Clinically affected individuals show very high reactivity (measured as the optical density) on this ELISA; however, a one-way cross-reactivity with Toxocara spp. has been observed. As an approach to differentiate these two infections based on serology, we performed Western blots, wherein the B. procyonis ES antigen was reacted with serum samples from individuals known to be positive for either Toxocara spp. or B. procyonis larva migrans. Western blot results showed that B. procyonis antigens of between 30 and 45 kDa were specifically identified only by the sera from individuals with Baylisascaris larva migrans, thus allowing for differentiation between the two infections. This included human patient serum samples submitted for serologic testing, as well as sera from rabbits experimentally infected with B. procyonis. When used in conjunction with the ELISA, Western blotting could be an efficient tool for diagnosis of this infection in humans.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, Veterinary Pathology Building, 725 Harrison St., West Lafayette, IN 47907. Phone: (765) 494-7546. Fax: (765) 494-9830. E-mail: dsriveny{at}purdue.edu

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 9 September 2009.

Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, November 2009, p. 1563-1568, Vol. 16, No. 11
1071-412X/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CVI.00251-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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