Characterization Of Anti –Schistosoma Haema Tobium Monoclonal Antibodies And Investigations Into Their Reactivity In The Western Immunoblot Assay.
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Date
1996-05
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University of Ghana
Abstract
Schistosoma haematobium antigens are the least studied amongst the three
major human schistosomes (S. haematobium, S. mansoni and S. japonicum), mainly
because of difficulty in maintaining the life cycle of this parasite in the laboratory.
As a result, work on identification of potentially diagnostic and protective S.
haematobium antigens lags behind.
The work reported in this thesis was aimed at characterizing monoclonal
antibodies recently produced against S. haematobium antigens so as to determine
whether any of them are useful for specific diagnosis of urinary schistosomiasis or
for protection against the disease.
Nineteen monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) recently generated against 5.
haematobium soluble egg and infected human urinary antigens were used in this
study. Earlier attempts to characterize six of the MoAbs had revealed that one of
them (Sh3/15.28) was S. haematobium species-specific, but it could not detect the
antigen in infected human urine, and was therefore not suitable for developing
highly desirable non-invasive, field applicable assays. Moreover, four out of the six
MoAbs failed to bind the antigens that they detect in the western immunoblot assay,
thereby making it difficult to further characterize them by this technique.
From the studies reported in this thesis, fifteen of the MoAbs were found to
be of the IgM class, three were of IgGl and one was of IgG3 subclass. Crossreactivity
studies using crude antigens of S. haematobium, S. mansoni, S. japonicum
and Necator cimericanus (hookworm) eggs or worms showed that two MoAbs
(Sh2/15.F and Sh3/15.28) were S. haematobium species-specific, and another one
(Sh3/44.3) was specific to die Egyptian strain of S. haematobium. Sh3/44.3
detected antigens in soluble egg antigens of an Egyptian strain of S. haematobium
(SEAEgy) obtained from the World Health Organization (WHO) but failed to detect
antigens in both egg and adult worm antigen extracts of Ghanaian strain(s) that were
tested. Six MoAbs namely, Shl/71.7, Sh3/34.10, Sh3/38.2, Sh4/14.3, Sh5/32.30
and Sh5/34.10 were Schistosoma genus-specific, while the remaining ten bound
cross-reactive antigens in S. haematobium and S. japonicum. Biochemical analysis
o f the antigens showed that seven out of eight MoAbs namely, Sh2/15.F, Sh3/15.13,
Sh3/34.10, Sh4/14.3, Sh4/16.45, Sh5/32.30 and Sh5/34.10 bound protein epitopes
which were also present in ammonium sulphate precipitated proteins (P2J) from the
urine of individuals infected with Ghanaian strain(s) o f S. haematobium. The eighth
antibody (Sh3/44.3) bound a S. haematobium Egyptian strain-specific antigen and,
therefore, could possibly not detect any antigens in P2J. All the remaining eleven
MoAbs bound glycoprotein antigens. Characterization of the antigens detected, by
the indirect immunoflourescent test (IFAT), showed that four MoAbs bound
antigens located on the surface membranes of Ghanaian strain(s) of S. haematobium
miracidia while, three others bound internally located (possibly cytoplasmic)
antigens. The remaining twelve MoAbs bound both surface and internal antigens.
Further characterization using the western immunoblot assay showed that reactivity
of the MoAbs was influenced by the biochemical nature o f the antigens detected, the
antibody concentration used as probes for antigen detection and the amount of
current used in electrophoresis. Out of the nineteen MoAbs investigated, seventeen
reacted under varying conditions of complete denaturing whilst the remaining two
(Sh3/38.2 and Sh3/44.5) failed to bind antigens under both denaturing and nondenaturing
conditions. All the MoAbs that detected glycoproteins epitopes (except
those with generally low reactivity) reacted when diluted in Tris-buffered saline, pH
8.0 containing 2% skimmed milk as blocking agent. On the other hand, most o f the
MoAbs which detected relatively low molecular weight polypeptides (<40kDa)
could only do so at high antibody concentrations, particularly when undiluted.
Interestingly, none of the MoAbs could detect antigens in P2J by the western
immunoblot assay.
The two S. haematobium species-specific MoAbs, Sh2/15.F and Sh3/15.28
detected both the West African (Ghanaian) and North African (Egyptian) strains of
the parasite, thereby suggesting that they would be suitable for diagnosis in different
geographical areas. However, only Sh2/15.F could detect antigens in S.
haematobium infected human urine, indicating that this antibody may be more
suitable for diagnostic purposes. Furthermore, the ability of Sh2/15.F to detect
antigens by the dot-ELISA, adds to its probable usefulness, since the MoAb may
then be suitable for developing field applicable membrane-based dipstick assays.
Western immunoblot analysis showed that Sh2/15.F bound a polypeptide antigen of
approximate molecular weight of 29 kDa, whilst Sh3/15.28 bound a glycoprotein
epitope located on 53, 56.7 and 66 kDa antigens.
Even though the S. haematobium Egyptian strain-specific MoAb Sh3/44.3 is
not likely to be useful in diagnosis, it may be potentially useful in studies intended
to characterize S. haematobium strains. On the other hand, Schistosoma genusspecific
MoAbs that could detect urinary antigens may be suitable for the
development o f genus-specific assays for use where species-specific identification is
not critical. Furthermore, genus-specific MoAbs that detected protein antigens may
also be useful in studies towards the search for schistosomiasis protective antigens.
This is because it is generally accepted that the most suitable vaccine candidate
antigens for the disease are the cross-reactive proteins.
Two of the MoAbs (Sh3/15.13 and Sh4/16.45) that detected cross-reactive
antigens in S. haematobium and S. japonicum could also bind the antigen in S.
haematobium infected human urine and may therefore be useful for diagnosis of
urinary schistosomiasis since its distribution does not coincide with that of the
disease caused by S. japonicum.
In conclusion, therefore, this study has shown that some of the MoAbs
generated against S. haematobium are suitable for the development of non invasive
field-applicable diagnostic assays for urinary schistosomiasis and/or for intestinal
schistosomiasis. Furthermore, the identification of S. haematobium antigens that are
likely to be of protective value would facilitate studies aimed at controlling
schistosomiasis
Description
Thesis(M.Phil)_University of Ghana,1996.