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- Title
Association of autoantibodies against small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) with symptomaticToxocara canisinfestation.
- Authors
Obwaller, Andreas; Duchêne, Michael; Walochnik, Julia; Wiedermann, Gerhard; Auer, Herbert; Aspöck, Horst
- Abstract
Several studies have demonstrated the occurrence of autoantibodies in the course of infestations with helminth parasites and a number of target proteins have been identified. Sera from patients suffering from toxocarosis, a disease caused by the parasitic roundwormToxocara canis, and from healthy individuals were tested for autoantibodies by immunofluorescence and immunoblot assays using HEp-2 cells as antigen. A considerable proportion of the sera from patients with toxocarosis-associated symptoms were autoantibody-positive, with a speckled staining pattern in the immunofluorescence test (62%) and with anti-snRNP reactivity in the immunoblot assay (98%). In contrast, significantly fewer sera from asymptomatic individuals scored positive in these assays (18% in the immunofluorescence test,P < 0·005; 24% in the immunoblot,P < 0·005). Although the causative link betweenToxocarainfestation and the occurrence of autoantibodies is still unclear, our results show that increased amounts of autoantibodies are associated with clinical symptoms of inflammation. Thus a serum test for autoantibodies in toxocarosis patients might be a valuable gatekeeper assay for the decision for or against anti-inflammatory treatment.
- Subjects
NUCLEOPROTEINS; AUTOANTIBODIES; TOXOCARA; ANTIGENS; IMMUNOFLUORESCENCE; IMMUNOGLOBULINS
- Publication
Parasite Immunology, 2004, Vol 26, Issue 8/9, p327
- ISSN
0141-9838
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.0141-9838.2004.00716.x