In this paper, we showed for the first time that the conserved domains within
Schistosoma mansoni
ATP diphos-
phohydrolase isoforms, shared with potato apyrase, possess epitopes for the IgG1 and IgG4 subtypes, as 24 (80%)
of the 30 schistosomiasis patients were seropositive for this vegetable protein. The analyses for each patient cured
(n = 14) after treatment (AT) with praziquantel revealed variable IgG1 and IgG4 reactivity against potato apyrase.
Different antigenic epitopes shared between the vegetable and parasite proteins could be involved in susceptibility
or resistance to
S. mansoni AT with praziquantel and these possibilities should be explored.
