Common antigenicities between Angiostrongylus cantonensis and various species of snails.

Studies on common antigenicities were carried out by using rabbit sera immunized with Angiostrongylus cantonensis adult worms or the third stage larvae and antigens of various species of snails and vice versa by the immunoblotting technique. The results obtained are summarized as follows: (1) Common antigenicities between A. cantonensis adult worms and snails susceptible to A. cantonensis were observed in a range of molecular weights of 14.3 to 200 kDa. In Puerto Rican pigmented Biomphalaria glabrata and Achatina fulca, which had high infection rates with A. cantonensis, we recognized 15 to 16 bands against the adult worm, especially the band with a molecular weight of 29 kDa, which had a more intense reaction. (2) Common antigenicities between A. cantonensis third stage larvae and snails susceptible to A. cantonensis, were observed in a range of molecular weights of 14.3 to 97.4 kDa, especially A. fulica and B. glabrata, where we detected many bands in molecular weight range of 18.4 to 43 kDa. Based on the common antigenicities between A. cantonensis and snails susceptible to A. cantonensis, it is possible that the common antigenicities are one of the factors defining the different susceptibilities of various species of snails to A. cantonensis, and more bands are seen with increasing infection rates with A. cantonensis. Of those bands, the protein with the molecular weight of 29 kDa may be the main common antigen between the A. cantonensis adult worm, the third stage larvae and the snails susceptible to A. cantonensis.