The Immunology of Fascioliasis II. QUALITATIVE STUDIES ON THE PRECIPITIN REACTION.

Antigens prepared from Fasciola spp. precipitated in agar with antisera obtained from mice or rabbits infected with Fasciola hepatica, and with antisera from cattle infected with F. gigantica, or from rabbits immunized with preparations of adult F. hepatica. In the latter there were at least thirty-eight different antibodies, reacting with both protein and species specific non-protein antigens. The reactions of the antisera from infected animals were less complex. Antisera from infected cattle or mice gave little or no reaction with protein antigens, whereas antisera from infected rabbits reacted predominantly with one of the protein antigens. Certain non-protein components of the somata or metabolic products of the flukes also reacted with antisera from infected animals. These components were not species specific, and appeared to be haptens as they did not react with antisera from rabbits immunized with killed fluke antigen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]