Premium
Physical and Serologic Properties of an Antigen Prepared from Erythrocytes of Horses with Acute Babesiosis *
Author(s) -
SIBINOVIC STEVAN,
SIBINOVIC KYLE HARDING,
RISTIC MIODRAG,
COX HERBERT W.
Publication year - 1966
Publication title -
the journal of protozoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 0022-3921
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1966.tb01962.x
Subject(s) - antigen , babesiosis , serology , babesia , virology , babesia canis , biology , babesia bigemina , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , antibody
SYNOPSIS. By means of precipitation with protamine sulfate, a soluble antigen (PS) was obtained from erythrocytes of horses with acute babesiosis due to Babesia caballi and B. equi. This antigen reacted in gel diffusion tests with sera from horses recovered from acute babesiosis. The PS antigen was found to be muco‐protein, susceptible to destruction by trypsin and taka‐diastase. Analysis of the antigen by paper electrophoresis revealed 2 components which were not present in similar preparations made from erythrocytes of Babesia ‐free horses. When the PS antigen was heated in boiling water for 30 minutes, a serologically inactive precipitate was formed; however, the supernate remained serologically active and was termed boiled PS (BPS) antigen. This antigen was polysaccharide in nature; its serologic activity was destroyed by taka‐diastase. In gel diffusion tests with sera of recovered horses, the PS antigen formed 2 lines of precipitation which coalesced in a single line formed between these sera and the BPS antigen. Both PS and BPS antigens reacted with sera of horses recovered from acute babesiosis in the gel‐diffusion test, but not with sera of dogs and rats recovered from acute infection with Babesia canis and Babesia rodhaini , respectively. The serologic specificity of these antigens suggests that they might have application in the serodiagnosis of inapparent Babesia infections of equine animals.