Identification of a new fluke allergen identified by monoclonal IgE antibodies for Paragonimus miyazakii.

IgE-producing hybridomas were acquired from fusing splenic cells to myeloma cells of BALB/c mice infected with Paragonimus miyazakii. With the use of the monoclonal antibody (mAb)xIgE obtained, the localization of the allergen in P. miyazakii, as well as its molecular weight, was evaluated. The allergen was present in the gut epithelium and luminal contents of adult flukes. Because this allergen was absent in the related species Paragonimus westermani and Paragonimus ohirai, we believe that it is specific to P. miyazakii. The allergen was estimated to be less than 14,400 daltons and was 1 of the smallest components that appeared after electrophoresis.