Dirofilaria immitis proteins recognized by antibodies from individuals living with microfilaremic dogs

Dirofilaria immitis is a nematode that affects human health in several countries of the world. This study was conducted to examine whether serum samples from the owners of microfilaremic dogs present immunoreactivity to parasite proteins. Eight serum samples from the owners of microfilaremic dogs were examined. Total proteins were extracted from adult worms and 12% SDS-PAGE was performed. The gel was electroblotted to a nitrocellulose membrane, and a Western blot (WB) was performed. Reactive bands of 22, 33, 39, 49, and 63 kDa in WB were excised from the gel and analyzed by mass spectrometry (MS). The MS results showed the presence of 10 different proteins of D. immitis recognized by the human serum samples. These results indicate that in endemic areas of D. immitis, owners of infected dogs recognize specific proteins of the parasite, suggesting a possible infection.