Immunogenicity of detergent membrane proteins of Entamoeba histolytica

The lymphokine release and antibody production were assessed in the peripheral blood of 52 and 48 cases of amoebic liver abscess respectively, by employing detergent dissected membrane proteins (DDMP) of axenic Entamoeba histolytica (NIH:200). Lymphokine release by T lymphocytes in response to both DDMP and whole amoebic lysate (WAL) was performed by leukocyte migration inhibition test. A highly increased release of LMIF and 100 per cent positivity was observed with DDMP where as the same for whole amoebic extract, was only 73 per cent. The difference between the means of the above two values with regards to release of LMIF, was found to be highly significant (P less than 0.005). Antibodies production in response to both DDMP and whole amoebic lysate was performed by indirect haemagglutination assay on blood samples from amoebic liver abscess cases. A 53 folds increased titres of IHA and cent percent positivity was observed with DDMP compared to WAL. The difference between mean titres of the above two with regards to detection of antibodies, was found to be highly significant (P less than 0.001). This shows that the patients, had high degree of leukocyte sensitization and production of antibodies which will not be assessed simply with WAL. These findings suggest that the shed material might have important role as a potent antigen in elicitation cell mediated and humoral immune response in amoebic liver abscess cases.