[Antigenic structure of Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Rudolphi, 1819)]

The purpose of this paper was to study the antigenic structure of Dicrocoelium dendriticum with a particular consideration of its antigenic relationship between F. hepatica and Paramphistomum sp. Studies of the antigenic composition of somatic extract of D. dendriticum and its four fractions obtained by gel separation chromatography on Sephadex G 75 were carried out by using double diffusion reaction with homologous (SDd) and heterogeneous (SFh, SPs) rabbit sera as well as sera of sheep naturally infected with liver fluke. The highest seroantigenic activity was observed for the somatic extract and its fraction I. A distinct antigenic relationship was found between the fluke species studied, a closer relationship between D. dendriticum and F. hepatica than between D. dendriticum and Paramphistomum sp. The studied sera of 7 sheep naturally infected with liver fluke were inactive in double diffusion reaction with D. dendriticum extract and its fractions.