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Biomedical subjects

J A Guisantes

Publications and source records attributed to J A Guisantes.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Uncinaria stenocephala: assessment of antigens for the immunodiagnosis of canine uncinariosis.

Although Uncinaria stenocephala is the most frequent hookworm in the intestine of dogs from Northern, Central and Southern Europe, little is known about its host-parasite relationship. Three groups of sera from dogs (Group 1: dogs naturally infected only by U. stenocephala; Group 2: helminth-free dogs at necropsy, and Group 3: dogs parasitized by other helminths) were analyzed by ELISA using U. stenocephala antigens from adult worms (somatic and excretory-secretory antigens) and from L3 larvae (somatic antigens). All three sources of antigens were found to be suitable for immunodiagnosis of canine uncinariosis with up to 90% efficacy. However, an analysis to assess the diagnostic value of the different antigens demonstrated that the adult excretory-secretory antigens had a higher diagnostic efficacy (96.7%), indicating that this is the best antigen source for the diagnosis of Uncinaria infection.

Ancylostomatoidea↗
PubMed2006

The major allergen of Alternaria alternata (Alt a 1) is expressed in other members of the Pleosporaceae family.

There is general consensus regarding the scarce cross-reactivity existing between Alternaria alternata and other allergenic moulds such as Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium notatum or Cladosporium herbarum. However, A. alternata has been shown to have a very significant level of allergenic cross-reactivity with other fungi belonging to the Pleosporaceae family. To date, no biological identity or homologies with other proteins have been described for Alt a 1, and it remains unclear whether the major allergen Alt a 1 contributes to the cross-reactivity shown for these moulds. Specific quantification of Alt a 1 in culture filtrates of Stemphylium botryosum, Ulocladium botrytis, Curvularia lunata, Alternaria tenuissima, C. herbarum, Penicillium chrysogenum and Asp. fumigatus, and immunoblotting using culture filtrate extracts from the above-mentioned moulds and rabbit serum anti-recombinant Alt a 1 have shown significant amounts of Alt a 1 in culture filtrates as well as antigenic components ranging from 14 to 20 kDa that strongly react with the specific serum for all taxonomically related species (Pleosporaceae family). No reactions were revealed in culture filtrates of Cladosporium, Penicillium and Aspergillus. These results restrict the cross-reactivity phenomenon due to Alt a 1 to the scope of the taxonomical term of family.

Allergens↗
PubMed2004

Characterization of excretory-secretory products from protoscoleces of Echinococcus granulosus and evaluation of their potential for immunodiagnosis of human cystic echinococcosis.

This study describes, for the first time, the characterization of excretory-secretory antigens (ES-Ag) from Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces, evaluating their usefulness in the immunodiagnosis of human cystic echinococcosis. ES-Ag were obtained from the first 50 h maintenance of protoscoleces in vitro. This preparation contained over 20 major protein components which could be distinguished by 1-dimensional SDS-PAGE with apparent masses between 9 and 300 kDa. The culture of of protoscoleces from liver produced a greater variety of excretory-secretory protein components than those from lung. Determination of enzymatic activities of secreted proteins revealed the presence of phosphatases, lipases and glucosidases, but no proteases. These findings were compared to those obtained from somatic extracts of protoscoleces and hydatid cyst fluid products. Immunochemical characterization was performed by immunoblotting with sera from individuals infected by cystic echinococcosis (n = 15), non-hydatidic parasitoses (n = 19), various liver diseases (n = 24), lung neoplasia (n = 16), and healthy donors (n = 18). Antigens with apparent masses of 89, 74, 47/50, 32, and 20 kDa showed specificity for immunodiagnosis of human hydatidosis. The 89 and 74 kDa components corresponded to antigens not yet described in E. granulosus, whereas proteins of 41-43 kDa and 91-95 kDa were recognized by the majority of the non-hydatid sera studied.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Analysis of the allergen expression of Blomia tropicalis and Blomia kulagini (Astigmata: Glycyphagidae) cultures.

Laboratory cultures of the mites Blomia tropicalis (van Bronswijk, Cock & Oshima) and Blomia kulagini (Zakhvatkin) were used to study the population dynamics of the mites and the kinetics of released allergens during the growth cycle. The analysis of extracts obtained after different incubation periods, by means of immunoblotting, and quantification of the major allergen Blo t 5, allowed definition of three different growth phases, demonstrating that mite cultures during the maximum growth (end of exponential growth curve-beginning maximum growth plateau) contain the largest amount of allergenic components as well as the highest Blo t 5 concentration.

Allergens↗
PubMed2000

Cross-reactions between Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae (Acari: Pyroglyphidae) related to the different growth phases of cultures.

The allergenic cross-reactivity of both inter- and intraspecies of house dust mites, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Trouessart, 1897) and Dermatophagoides farinae Hughes, 1961, taking into account the allergenic differences that exist throughout the growth curves, was evaluated by means of RAST-inhibition, using sera from patients allergic to these mites. The results demonstrate that extracts obtained from mite cultures during the maximum exponential growth phase are the best source of reagents to better discriminate cross-reactivity studies. The analyses obtained from this work, together with those obtained in previous reports, help to define the ideal conditions related to the allergenic diversity, avidity, and cross-reactivity of specific antibodies for the elaboration of allergenic extracts as a tool for use in diagnosis and specific treatment of IgE-mediated hypersensitivity caused by house dust mites.

Allergens↗
PubMed1999

Enzymatic analyses of house dust mite extracts from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae (Acari: Pyroglyphidae) during different phases of culture growth.

The majority of clinically important allergens of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Trouessart, 1897) and Dermatophagoides farinae Hughes, 1961 present enzymatic activity. The allergenic enzymes described include cysteine proteases in group 1 allergens, trypsins in group 3, amylases in group 4, and chymotrypsins in group 6. Apart from these, other possibly allergenic enzymes also have been identified. Therefore, enzymatic profiles were studied during the 3 growth periods of the mite population--latency phase, exponential growth phase, and death phase. The activity of 19 different enzymes was analyzed by means of the Api Zym system, a method that has been used to study both mite extracts and other allergenic materials. Our study has demonstrated that the extracts contain a large variety of enzymes. It has been observed that enzymatic activity is caused exclusively by mites because the control carried out on the culture medium was negative for all the enzymes studied. Generally, the levels of diverse enzymatic activity increased with the growth of the culture, and decreased later, in both species. However, proteases are the exception; they maintain a high level of activity during the death phase of the cultured mites. The ratio between trypsin and chymotrypsin activity can be used as an excellent tool for quality control parameters during obtention of allergenic mite extracts.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Kinetics of allergen expression in cultures of house dust mites, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and D. farinae (Acari: Pyroglyphidae).

Laboratory cultures of house dust mites Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Trouessart, 1897) and Dermatophagoides farinae Hughes, 1961 were used to study the population dynamics of the mites and the kinetics of antigen appearance. The analysis of extracts obtained after different incubation periods, carried out by SDS-PAGE, immunoblotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, allows for the definition of 3 different growth phases: the latency phase (F1); the exponential growth phase (F2) during which the allergenic proteins, including the Der 1 and Der 2 major allergens, were expressed more intensely and in larger quantities; and a final phase (F3), death, in which the lowest rates of allergenic components with a clearly different pattern were seen. The data obtained from this work demonstrates that mite cultures during the maximum growth phase (F2) contain the largest amount of allergenic components as well as the highest major allergen concentrations.

Allergens↗
PubMed1989

The diagnosis of human hydatidosis by measurement of specific IgE antibody by enzyme immunoassay.

The sensitivity and specificity of an enzyme immunosorbent assay (EIA) for measurement of anti-Echinococcus granulosus specific IgE antibody using microtiter strips was evaluated. The sensitivity was 92.2% for 90 patients with cysts in the liver or other body sites but excluding the patients with cysts in the lungs or bones. In this latter group (n = 26) a sensitivity of 61.5% was recorded. The specificity for control groups comprising 89 blood bank sera from Spain and 48 sera from atopic Swedes was 100%. Patients infected with other parasites (n = 78) were usually negative (81%). 11 of the 15 false positives were found in patients with total IgE greater than 5,000 kU/l. The microtiter EIA method employed can be considered as a very convenient method to be included in the range of immunodiagnostic tests for human hydatid disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Paraffin embedded "Echinococcus granulosus" protoscoleces as suitable antigen in the indirect immunofluorescence test for human hydatid disease.

The employment of Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces embedded in paraffin as antigen for the indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) test for human hydatid disease is described. An evaluation of its sensitivity and specificity is made studying 108 pre-operative sera from surgically confirmed hydatidosis and 91 control sera. Using the positivity criterion based on the serological reactivity at which minimum cross-reactivity was observed, the IIF test showed an overall sensitivity of 83.3% and 2.2% of cross-reactions. No differences in sensitivity between sera from hepatic and pulmonary hydatidosis was observed. The advantages of the method are pointed out.

Cross Reactions↗
PubMed1981

Comparison of three immunological tests for seroepidemiological purposes in human echinococcosis.

The comparative sensitivity and specificity of three immunodiagnostic tests for hydatid disease--the latex agglutination (LA) test, the indirect haemagglutination (IHA) test and the counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIEP) test--were studied. The results of the IHA test were evaluated using three positivity criteria. Antigen from the same source--hydatid cyst fluid pool of ovine origin--was utilized for the three tests. A total of 123 sera were studied; 30 preoperative sera from patients with other parasitic and infectious diseases, 30 sera from patients with non-parasitic diseases and 30 sera from normal blood donors. The results of the three tests were correlated to the immunoelectrophoresis (IEP) test based on the presence of arc 5. The same sensitivity (86.7%) and specificity (99%) was obtained in LA, CIEP and IHA tests when the minimum cross-reactivity titre criterion was employed for the latter. Non-specificity was relatively high (13%) in the IHA test when only serological reactivity was considered. The sensitivity of the IHA test decreased (83.3%) using the diagnostic titre criterion and non-specific reactions were eliminated. All three tests correlated well with the IEP test.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1980

[Hydatidosis: new concepts in an old disease (First part) (author's transl)].

In the first part of this review several aspects of the classical echinococcosis due to E. granulosus are commented on (geographical distribution, morphological, epidemiological, taxonomic and pathogenetic characteristics). The real incidence of this disease in Spain is unknown due to the absence of global epidemiological data, especially by the lack of sero-epidemiological surveys. Epidemiological measures necessary to establish a control program for this zoonosis are recommended. In relation to the pathogenesis of the parasitosis, the authors mention some clinicopathologic characteristics which are conditioned to the anatomy and function of the organs where hydatids are located.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

[1st case of visceral leishmaniasis in Navarra].

The first autochthonous case of kala-azar in the province of Navarra is reported. The epidemiology, diagnostic procedures and the criterion for cure are related. The patient showed a very good response to treatment with pentavalent organic antimonials.

Aged↗