Cross-Reactivity Pattern of Asian and American Human Gnathostomiasis in Western Blot Assays Using Crude Antigens Prepared from Gnathostoma spinigerum and Gnathostoma binucleatum Third-Stage Larvae

Abstract

Abstract. Gnathostomiasis is a zoonotic parasitosis endemic in many Asian and some Latin American countries. Most human infections are caused by Gnathostoma spinigerum in Asia and Gnathostoma binucleatum in the Americas, and recently, imported cases have been increasing among travelers returning from endemic regions. Confirmation of the clinical diagnosis relies largely on serologic tests, with a G. spinigerum-antigen-based immunoblot currently being the diagnostic method of choice. However, we repeatedly experienced that sera from patients with clinically suspected American gnathostomiasis gave negative results in this assay. Therefore, we used homologous methods to prepare G. spinigerum-and G. binucleatum-antigen-based immunoblot assays, and evaluated the cross-reactivity of the two assays. The results show incomplete cross-reactivity between the two assays: the G. spinigerum-antigen-based immunoblot apparently only detects Asian gnathostomiasis caused by G. spinigerum, whereas the G. binucleatum-antigen-based immunoblot is apparently capable of detecting American as well as Asian gnathostomiasis.

Evaluation of Rapid IgG4 Test for Diagnosis of Gnathostomiasis

“…In the future, there is need to develop a model of infection with G. spinigerum worms in experimental animals and monitor the dynamic changes of specific antibodies after anti-helminth treatment. Another limitation from the current study is that there is no evidence to show the kit can distinguish species of Gnathostoma [ 32 , 33 ].…”

Case Report: Ocular Gnathostomiasis in Venezuela Most Likely Acquired in Texas

“…In general, apart from ocular case, most of the gnathostomiasis cases have been diagnosed by the combination of clinical features and immunodiagnosis, although some cautions are required for the identification of causative species. 24 Because involvement of the central nervous system is rare but sometimes fatal, 13 specific antibody detection in CSF and serum would be helpful for differential diagnosis of eosinophilic meningitis or cerebral hemorrhage with eosinophilia. 1,13 In conclusion, although gnathostomiasis is not a common parasitic disease in Venezuela, this case together with the recent report of indigenous cutaneous gnathostomiasis in this country raises an alert for clinicians to pay attention on this disease in differential diagnosis.…”

A filtration-based rapid test using a partially purified third-stage larval antigen to detect specific antibodies for the diagnosis of gnathostomiasis

“…In Mexico, where G. binucleatum is the pathogenic nematode for human gnathostomiasis, only 26.3% of patients’ serum samples reacted with the 24-kDa protein band, whereas 65.2% of these samples could recognize the 33-kDa protein (Zambrano-Zaragoza et al ., 2012). American patients with gnathostomiasis showed negative results in G. spinigerum -antigen-based immunoblotting, reflecting incomplete cross-reactivity between the 24-kDa antigens of G. spinigerum and G. binucleatum (Neumayr et al ., 2016). These findings suggest that the 24-kDa protein is the immunodominant antigen for G. spinigerum and the 33-kDa protein is the immunodominant antigen for G. binucleatum.…”