Abstract
Excretory–secretory products (ESP) products of ex vivo
Fasciola gigantica adult worms were used for immunodiagnosis of sheep experimental infection with
F. gigantica and natural infection with
Fasciola spp. by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blotting. Specific IgG antibody binding to native or denatured ESP was detected as early as 2 weeks after experimental sheep infection with 100 or 200 metacercariae. No specific IgG antibody binding was displayed by sera obtained from 192 sheep considered to be
Fasciola- and other parasite-free by microscopic examination of bile and feces. Additionally, sera from 200 apparently
Fasciola-free sheep, yet infected with other parasites, were all negative. The data, thus, indicated that ESP-based ELISA reached nearly 100% sensitivity and specificity in immunodiagnosis of sheep fasciolosis. As expected, the ESP molecules were immunogenic in sheep eliciting interleukin-12p40 mRNA response and considerable amounts of antibodies, which were able to bind to the surface of newly excysted juvenile worms as judged by membrane indirect immunofluorescence, and mediate their attrition via antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. The ESP-induced cellular and humoral immune responses were associated with a modest reduction in worm count, yet with a highly significant (
P
<
0.0001) decrease in size of recovered worms, thus suggesting that ESP immunization might be a safe and cost-effective strategy for reducing transmission of the infection.