Monoclonal antibodies against diagnostic Anisakis simplex antigens

Five monoclonal antibodies (UA2, UA3, UA5, UA6, and UA8) specific for Anisakis simplex are described. All are IgG1/kappa monoclonal antibodies, except for UA2, which is an antibody IgM/kappa. The molecular weights of the major components recognized in immunoblotting are 48 and 67 kDa (UA2); 139 kDa (UA3 and UA5; same epitope); 35, 38, and 139 kDa (UA6); and 205 kDa (UA8). UA2 was the only monoclonal antibody to recognize both components of an excretion-secretion antigen preparation and antigens in the excretory cell and esophageal glands of third-stage A. simplex larvae; antigens in the excretory cell were also recognized by UA3 and UA6. Cross-reactivity studies using a hyperimmune polyclonal rabbit serum reacting with various ascaridoid nematodes indicated that the antigens captured by our monoclonal antibodies were specific for A. simplex. Finally, comparative studies of our monoclonal antibodies and An2 (the only monoclonal antibody currently available for serodiagnosis of human anisakiasis), based on the calculation of multiples of normal activity for human anisakiasis sera, indicated that our monoclonal antibodies (and particularly UA3) recognized antigens that are good candidates for serodiagnostic purposes.