Proteomic analysis of Strongyloides stercoralis L3 larvae

Strongyloidiasis can be perpetuated by autoinfection with the filariform larvae L3, causing asymptomatic chronic infections and creating a population of carriers, affecting not only developing countries. So far, very little is known about the proteins that interact with the human host, and few proteins from the infective Strongyloides stercoralis L3 have been characterized. Here, we report results obtained from a proteomic analysis of the proteins from S. stercoralis L3 larvae obtained from patients. Since the genome of S. stercoralis is not yet available, we used proteomic analysis to identify 26 different proteins, 13 of them released by short digestion with trypsin, which could represent surface-associated proteins. The present work extends our knowledge of host-parasite interactions by identifying proteins that could be of interest in the development of diagnostic tools, vaccines, or treatments for a neglected disease like strongyloidiasis.