Stage-specific surface antigens of the cattle lungworm Dictyocaulus viviparus

Immunofluorescence on live Dictyocaulus viviparus parasites revealed a significant antibody response by vaccinated and patently infected bovine hosts to the sheath of infective larvae (L3), a structure which is generally thought to be shed from the parasite surface prior to invasion of host tissue. In contrast, surface-exposed antigens of the adult, egg and pulmonary L1 stages were recognized only by serum antibody from calves exposed to a patient lungworm infection. Radioiodination of sheathed L3 identified a restricted set of components while a more complex pattern of labelled material was observed with adult parasites. Many more components of adult worms were labelled by the Bolton-Hunter than by the Iodogen reagent, probably reflecting the more penetrative labelling propensities of the former. Stage-specificity of surface-associated antigens of adult parasites was demonstrated by their immunoprecipitation by antibody from patently-infected, but not from vaccinated, calves. There was no in vitro release of the major iodinatable surface-associated antigens of adult parasites not any binding of antibody raised against adult excretory-secretory (ES) products to the surface of living adult worms, suggesting that surface components do not contribute to adult ES products in this species. Antibody responses to the surface of adults, L1 and eggs were specific to patently-infected animals and may provide a useful indicator of exposure to patent infection.