Research for applying annelidan antigen to diagnose Schistosomiasis japonica

Objective To find common antigens with Schistosoma japonicum in leeches soluble antigens (LSA) and establish an immunological method to diagnose Schistosomiasis japonica. Methods Staining method was used to test the concentration of the LSA which was acquired by grinding frozen leeches; SDS-PAGE was used to analyze the elements of the LSA; Western blotting and ELISA was used to investigate the antigen-antibody reaction. Results There were more than 20 kinds of proteins in the LSA and eight kinds of them with a great quantity. The LSA had a strong reaction with the serum of patients with Schistosomiasis japonica and the action had high sensitivity and specificity. Conclusions The results indicate that leeches have common antigens with Schistoma japonicum and on the basis of this an immunologicai method diagnosing Schistosomiasis japonica can be established.