Determination of antigenic patterns of three taenia extracts and their use for differential diagnosis of taeniasis by immunoblot

Immunoserological differential diagnosis of Taenia spp. is the major contribution of the present work. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis [SDS-PAGE] was used to analyze the protein components of three Taenia extracts prepared from Cysticercus bovis, Taenia saginata and Taenia taeniaeformis. Antigenic components of the three taeniid antigens revealed by [SDS-PAGE] were: [I] Cysticercus bovis cystic fluid antigen: 180, 116, 90, 66, 45, 26, 17 and 10 kD. [II] Taenia saginata excretory secretory antigen [ES]: 198, 180, 146, 116, 55, 45, 35 and 26 kD. [III] Taenia taeniaeformis whole crude antigen 170, 140, 120, 116, 66, 55, 45, 35, 26, 17 and 10 kD. The characterized extracts were used as antigens in Western Blot [WB] technique. Sera from immunized rabbits with Cysticercus bovis fluid antigens were used in detecting a variety of immunogenic bands: [I] Cysticercus bovis: 160, 116, 86, 52, 45, 38 and 29 kD. [II] Taenia saginata: 86, 68 and 10 kD. [III] Taenia taeniaeformis: 170, 116, 86, 68, 52, 45 and 29 kD. The present results suggested that the diagnostic bands by Western Blotare 160 and 38 kD for Cysticercus bovis, 10 kD for Taenia saginata [ES] antigen and 170 kD for Taenia taeniaeformis

Oxyurid nematodes detected by cotonoscopy in patients with unexplalnea abdominal pain

Pinworms are one of the common helminthic infection that generally live in the gastrointestinal tract causing appendicitis and leading to unexplained abdominal pain. Species of the genus Syphacia [rodent pinworm] are cosmopolitan and they also infect humans. To diagnose the cause of unexplained abdominal pain in patients with mild eosinophilia by colonoscopy. to detect the relevance of Oxiyurid nematodes as a cause of this unexplained abdominal pain, and to identify and describe the extracted piliworms using light and scanning electron microscopy [SEM]. The study was performed on 200 inpatients of different age groups ranging from 3-60 years over a period of one year in the Tropical Medicine and Gastroenterology Department, Assiut University Hospital. Laboratory investigations were done for each case, including complete blood picture, liver function tests, stool examination for helminthes and protozoa. and perianal swab for patients suffering from perianal itch. Colonoscopy was performed for all cases not responding to antispasmodics. Detected worms were picked up by biopsy forceps and sent to the Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine. Assuit University and examined using light and SEM. Out of 200 patients, 25[12.5%] were diagnosed as pinworm infection of the genus Syphacia except in 5 children who had mixed infection with E. vermicularis. Laboratory findings were mild cosinophilia [6-8%] and neutrophulia with moderate shift to the left in one patient with recto-sigmoid nodule and negative stool examination. perianal swab of patients presenting with perianal itch was positive for E. vermicularis eggs. Light microscopic examination illustrated the presence of three different species of Oxyurida E. vermicularis. Syphacia muris and .Syphacia specific. SF.M studies showed that Svphacia spp. were classified into two groups according to morphological differences, and allowed for the reporting of additional morphological and taxouomical features. Syphhacia is considered as a cause of unexplained chronic abdominal pain and E. vermicularis is not the only human pinworm in Egypt. Further studies using SEM are needed to detect new characters that may help in differentiating Syphacia spp. from different hosts