The majority of
Kudoa
species infect the somatic muscle of
fish establishing cysts. As there is no effective method to detect infected fish
without destroying them these parasited fish reach the consumer. This work was
developed to determine whether this parasite contains antigenic compounds capable
of provoking an immune response in laboratory animals, in order to consider the
possible immunopathological effects in man by the ingestion of
Kudoa infected
fish. BALB/c mice were injected by the subcutaneous route with the following extracts
suspended in aluminium hydroxide: group 1 (black
Kudoa sp. pseudocyst extract),
group 2 (white
Kudoa sp. pseudocyst extract), and group 3 (non-infected
hake meat extract). Specific antibody levels were measured by ELISA against homologous
and heterologous antigens. The highest responses were obtained from the black
Kudoa sp. pseudocyst extract (group 1). The low optic density levels detected
in group 3 proved that the results obtained in groups 1 and 2 were a consequence
of the parasitic extract injection. The IgG1 was the predominant subclass. IgE
detected in groups 1 and 2 showed the possible allergenic nature of some of the
components of the parasitic extract. High IgA levels and medium IgG2a and IgG3
levels were obtained in groups 1 and 2. Low IgG2b responses were shown. No cross-reactions
between
Kudoa sp. pseudocyst extracts and the non-infected hake meat extract
were observed.
