Reactivity of recombinant Toxocara canis TES-30/120 in experimentally infected mice

AIM: While the use of recombinant antigens is being widely investigated in the diagnosis of human toxocariasis, relatively little attention has been given to animal diagnostic models. For this reason, this study aimed to investigate the diagnosis potential of Toxocara canis TES-30 and TES-120 recombinant antigens in mice, the animal model for toxocariasis studies. METHODS AND RESULTS: Serum samples obtained from mice infected with T. canis or Toxocara cati were tested by indirect ELISA using T. canis TES-30 and TES-120 recombinant antigens produced in Escherichia coli. 90% of the samples reacted with rTES-30, whereas there was almost no reactivity with rTES-120. CONCLUSION: Despite rTES-120 being a good antigen for diagnosis in humans, it could not reproduce its reactivity in this animal model. As rTES-30 has good reactivity in mice, it is a valuable tool for diagnosis.