Monoclonal antibody-purified antigen for the immunodiagnosis of trichinosis.

Monoclonal antibodies generated from spleen cells of Balb/cJ mice infected with Trichinella spiralis reacted with antigenic determinants present in some other common swine parasites, especially Trichuris suis. An antigenic determinant unique to T spiralis was recognized by one immunoglobulin M monoclonal antibody (7C2C5); this determinant was found on larval T spiralis proteins with molecular weights of 53,000, 49,000, and 45,000. These proteins were components of in vitro-derived worm excretory-secretory products. Immunoperoxidase staining techniques and reactions of the monoclonal antibody with living parasites indicated that the source of the antigen was the stichocyte. Two of the proteins (53,000 and 49,000 molecular weight) possessing this determinant were isolated by monoclonal antibody-affinity chromatography, using hybridoma 7C2C5. When used in a serologic enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the affinity-isolated antigen was able to completely eliminate false-positive reactions with serum from healthy swine and to detect all pigs infected with T spiralis.