[Electrophoretic analysis of soluble antigens of a pathogenic isolate of Trichomonas vaginalis]

To analyze the parasite soluble antigens of a pathogenic isolate of Trichomonas vaginalis.

The soluble antigens of a pathogenic isolate of T. vaginalis isolated from a patient suffered from trichomonad vaginitis was studied by means of SDS-PAGE followed by densitometric analysis and immunoblotting.

A total of 14 distinct protein bands was demonstrated using a 10% resolution gel concentration. Densitometrogram indicated that the soluble antigens with MWs of equal to and below 72 kDa accounted for 89.5% of the total volume with the dominant fractions of 48-51 kDa which accounted for 19.2%. Having MWs over 100 kDa accounted only for 7.4%, while the lowest M. W. fraction demonstrated was found to be at the site of 13 kDa. By immunoblotting, the specific anti-T. vaginalis antibodies raised in mice recognized a broad spectrum of molecular size range of these antigenic fraction. However, no immunological reaction was seen at the 86 kDa site.

The proteins of MWs 48-51 kDa possess a larger protein content and a higher immunological reactivity.