The Characteristics of a Circulating Antigen in Schistosomiasis

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Abstract
Previous work by others has shown that the sera of mice heavily infected with Schistosoma mansoni contained a schistosome-derived antigen. In this study the same antigen was also found in saline extracts of Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma japonicum and in the sera of mice infected with the latter parasite. The trichloroacetic acid-soluble fraction of the worm extract insoluble in chloroform was found to contain practically all the antigen. The antigen was anodic, resistant to boiling, Pronase, trypsin, α-amylase, DNase, RNase but was readily destroyed by sodium metaperiodate. The molecular weight was estimated to be greater than 100,000. Analysis of the trichloroacetic acid-soluble chloroform insoluble fraction, although incomplete, revealed less than 1% nitrogen. The only identifiable carbohydrate in this fraction was glucose. The properties of the antigen are characteristic of a polysaccharide.

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