Deglycosylation of Excretory-Secretory Antigens of the Second-Stage Larvae of Toxocara cati Improves Its Efficacy in the Diagnosis of Human Toxocariasis.

Background: Toxocariasis is an important zoonotic infection, especially in tropical areas. One of the significant challenges in the serodiagnosis of human toxocariasis is the cross-reaction of Toxocara antigens with other parasites due to their relatively similar glycan structures. Removing the glycan structure from Toxocara excretory-secretory (TES) antigens may increase the efficacy of these antigens in the diagnosis of toxocariasis. The current study aimed to assess the efficacy of deglycosylated Toxocara cati excretory-secretory (dTES) antigens for the serodiagnosis of human toxocariasis.

Methods: Toxocara ES antigens were prepared from T. cati second-stage larvae and deglycosylated using sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The TES antigens, along with the dTES antigens, were used in an ELISA as well as a western blotting system for the detection of anti-Toxocara antibodies. Sera samples collected from 30 confirmed cases of toxocariasis, 30 patients with other diseases, and 30 healthy subjects were evaluated by both systems.

Results: The sensitivity of TES and dTES ELISA for the diagnosis of human toxocariasis was 96.67% (95% CI = 82.78-99.92) and 93.33% (95% CI = 77.93-99.18), respectively, while the specificity of dTES (88.33%; 95% CI = 77.43-95.18) increased significantly compared to the TES (80.00%; 95% CI = 67.67-89.22). The sensitivity of both antigens was 100% (95% CI = 88.43-100) by the western blotting system. Moreover, the specificity of TES and dTES antigens was 95% (95% CI = 86.08-98.96) and 98.33% (95% CI = 91.06-99.96), respectively, when using the western blotting system.

Conclusion: Results of the current study indicate that the chemical removal of the glycan epitopes of T. cati ES antigens significantly reduces cross-reactivity rates with other parasitic infections. Considering the findings of the present study, the dTES antigens seem to be suitable antigens for the serodiagnosis of human toxocariasis.