Proteomic analysis of excretory-secretory products from the young adults of Angiostrongylus cantonensis

Angiostrongyliasis is caused by the nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis and can lead to eosinophilic meningitis and meningoencephalitis in humans. The young adult worms play central pathogenic roles in the central nervous system (CNS); however, the mechanism is unclear. Excretory-secretory products (ESPs) are good investigation targets for studying the relationship between a host and parasite. In the present study, we used proteomic analysis to profile, identify, and characterize the proteins in the ESPs of A. cantonensis young adults. The results showed that a total of 51 spots were identified, and the highly expressive ones included two protein disulfide-isomerases, one calreticulin, and three uncharacterized proteins. Subsequently, approximately 254 proteins were identified in the ESPs of A. cantonensis young adults by LC-MS/MS analysis, and the identified proteins were further classified according to their characteristics and biological functions. Finally, we identified the immunoreactive proteins from a reference map of A. cantonensis young adults ESPs. Approximately 8 proteins were identified, including protein disulfide-isomerase, a putative aspartic protease, annexin, and five uncharacterized proteins. The study established and identified protein reference maps in the A. cantonensis young adults ESPs. These identified proteins may be potential targets for the development of diagnostic or therapeutic agents for human angiostrongyliasis.