Serologic differentiation of adult Toxocara and Ascaris.

The antigenic analysis of Toxocara canis a causative agent of visceral larva migrans and Ascaris suum has been carried out. Agar gel double diffusion techniques and its modifications were employed to determine whether or not crude antigens, obtained from the adult parasites: (a) contained components unique for each, (b) could be used to differentiate the parasites serologically. Adult Toxocara canis and Ascanis suum antigens used in this study were found to contain several unique antigenic components. It was shown that antisera produced in rabbits artificially immunized against adult Ascaris and Toxocara could be specifically differentiated from each other by using intragel absorption test.

Serologic differentiation of larval Toxocara and Ascaris.

Antigenic extracts of adult and larval T. canis and A. suum have been used in microgel double diffusion technique to differentiate antibodies produced in animals, experimentally infected with these parasites. Antigenic extracts from adult Ascaris reacted with the sera from animals infected with A. suum but the extracts from adult Toxocara failed to react or reacted feebly with the sera from animals infected with T. canis. Interestingly the antigenic extract from adult Toxocara reacted with the sera from animals infected with Ascaris. The antigens extracted from embryonated eggs of both the worms reacted with anti-Toxocara larval serum but could not absorb all the specific antibodies in the interagel absorption test.