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Resende CAA, Ribeiro AJ, Gandra IB, Silva KA, Lopes LDS, Barcelos ICDS, Couto CAP, de Faria MT, Pereira SP, Xavier SR, Machado JM, da Paz MC, Chaves AT, Coelho EAF, Giunchetti RC, Chávez-Fumagalli MA, Dutra WO, Gonçalves AAM, Galdino AS. Recombinant proteins as promising antigens applied to the immunodiagnosis of Chagas disease: a scoping review. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1420226. [PMID: 39139374 PMCID: PMC11319188 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1420226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease (CD), caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is an important public health problem, occurring mainly in Latin America. The disease has a major social and economical effect, negatively impacting the life of the infected individuals, and bringing great costs to public health. An early and accurate diagnosis is essential for administration of early treatment. In addition, prognostic tests may aid disease management, decreasing hospitalization costs. However, the serological diagnostic scenario for CD still faces several challenges, making the development of new diagnostic kits a pressing matter. Facing this scenario, several researchers have expanded efforts in developing and testing new antigens, such as recombinant proteins and recombinant multiepitope proteins, with promising results. These recombinant antigens offer several advantages, such as improved sensitivity and specificity, in addition to facilitated scaling. Also, it has been possible to observe a rising number of studies using ELISA and point-of-care platforms, employing these antigens in the past few years. Among them, recombinant proteins were the most applied antigens, demonstrating great capacity to discriminate between positive and negative samples. Although fewer in number, recombinant multiepitope proteins also demonstrated an improved diagnostic performance. Indeed, a great number of studies employing these antigens showed sensitivity and specificity values above 90%, greatly impacting diagnostic accuracy. Nevertheless, despite the good results found, it is still possible to observe some bottlenecks in the development of new antigens, such as the scarcity of tests with sera from the acute phase and the variability of results in different geographic areas. In this sense, aiming to contribute to control and health programs, the continuous search for a more accurate serological diagnosis is essential, both for the acute and chronic phases of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Ananias Aparecido Resende
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Divinópolis, Brazil
| | - Anna Júlia Ribeiro
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Divinópolis, Brazil
| | - Isadora Braga Gandra
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Divinópolis, Brazil
| | - Kamila Alves Silva
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Divinópolis, Brazil
| | - Lucas da Silva Lopes
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Divinópolis, Brazil
| | - Isabelle Caroline dos Santos Barcelos
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Divinópolis, Brazil
| | - Carolina Alves Petit Couto
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Divinópolis, Brazil
| | - Mariana Teixeira de Faria
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Divinópolis, Brazil
| | - Sabrina Paula Pereira
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Divinópolis, Brazil
| | - Sandra Rodrigues Xavier
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Divinópolis, Brazil
| | - Juliana Martins Machado
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Divinópolis, Brazil
| | - Mariana Campos da Paz
- Laboratory of Bioactives and Nanobiotechnology, Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Divinópolis, Brazil
| | - Ana Thereza Chaves
- Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Antônio Ferraz Coelho
- Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Rodolfo Cordeiro Giunchetti
- Laboratory of Biology of Cell Interactions, Department of Morphology, National Institute of Science and Technology on Tropical Diseases (INCT-T), Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Miguel Angel Chávez-Fumagalli
- Computational Biology and Chemistry Research Group, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa, Peru
| | - Walderez Ornelas Dutra
- Laboratory of Biology of Cell Interactions, Department of Morphology, National Institute of Science and Technology on Tropical Diseases (INCT-T), Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Ana Alice Maia Gonçalves
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Divinópolis, Brazil
| | - Alexsandro Sobreira Galdino
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Divinópolis, Brazil
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Freitas NEM, Habib FL, Santos EF, Silva ÂAO, Fontes ND, Leony LM, Sampaio DD, de Almeida MC, Dantas-Torres F, Santos FLN. Technological advances in the serological diagnosis of Chagas disease in dogs and cats: a systematic review. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:343. [PMID: 36167575 PMCID: PMC9516836 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05476-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Chagas disease (CD) is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted mainly through the feces/urine of infected triatomine bugs. The acute phase lasts 2–3 months and is characterized by high parasitemia and nonspecific symptoms, whereas the lifelong chronic phase features symptoms affecting the heart and/or digestive tract occurring in 30–40% of infected individuals. As in humans, cardiac abnormalities are observed in T. cruzi-infected dogs and cats. We reviewed the technological advances in the serological diagnosis of CD in dogs and cats. Methods A review of the published literature during the last 54 years (1968–2022) on the epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of CD in dogs and cats was conducted. Results Using predefined eligibility criteria for a search of the published literature, we retrieved and screened 436 publications. Of these, 84 original studies were considered for inclusion in this review. Dogs and cats are considered as sentinels, potentially indicating an active T. cruzi transmission and thus the risk for human infection. Although dogs and cats are reputed to be important for maintaining the T. cruzi domestic transmission cycle, there are no commercial tests to detect past or active infections in these animals. Most published research on CD in dogs and cats have used in-house serological tests prepared with native and/or full-length recombinant antigens, resulting in variable diagnostic performance. In recent years, chimeric antigens have been used to improve the diagnosis of chronic CD in humans with encouraging results. Some of them have high performance values (> 95%) and extremely low cross-reactivity rates for Leishmania spp., especially the antigens IBMP-8.1 to IBMP-8.4. The diagnostic performance of IBMP antigens was also investigated in dogs, showing high diagnostic performance with negligible cross-reactivity with anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies. Conclusions The development of a commercial immunodiagnostic tool to identify past or active T. cruzi infections in dogs and cats is urgently needed. The use of chimeric recombinant T. cruzi antigens may help to fill this gap and is discussed in this review. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-022-05476-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Erdens Maron Freitas
- Advanced Health Public Laboratory, Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Waldemar Falcão Street, 121, Candeal, Bahia, Salvador, 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Lopes Habib
- Advanced Health Public Laboratory, Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Waldemar Falcão Street, 121, Candeal, Bahia, Salvador, 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Emily Ferreira Santos
- Advanced Health Public Laboratory, Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Waldemar Falcão Street, 121, Candeal, Bahia, Salvador, 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Ângelo Antônio Oliveira Silva
- Advanced Health Public Laboratory, Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Waldemar Falcão Street, 121, Candeal, Bahia, Salvador, 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Natália Dantas Fontes
- Advanced Health Public Laboratory, Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Waldemar Falcão Street, 121, Candeal, Bahia, Salvador, 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Maia Leony
- Advanced Health Public Laboratory, Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Waldemar Falcão Street, 121, Candeal, Bahia, Salvador, 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Daniel Dias Sampaio
- Brazil's Family Health Strategy, Municipal Health Department, Tremedal City Hall, Bahia, Tremedal, Brazil
| | - Marcio Cerqueira de Almeida
- Pathology and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Filipe Dantas-Torres
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Fred Luciano Neves Santos
- Advanced Health Public Laboratory, Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Waldemar Falcão Street, 121, Candeal, Bahia, Salvador, 40296-710, Brazil. .,Integrated Translational Program in Chagas Disease From Fiocruz (Fio-Chagas), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Fayd'herbe De Maudave A, Leconet W, Toupet K, Constantinides M, Bossis G, de Toledo M, Vialaret J, Hirtz C, Lopez-Noriega A, Jorgensen C, Noël D, Louis-Plence P, Grizot S, Villalba M. Intra-articular delivery of full-length antibodies through the use of an in situ forming depot. J Control Release 2021; 341:578-590. [PMID: 34915070 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2021.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are large size molecules that have demonstrated high therapeutic potential for the treatment of cancer or autoimmune diseases. Despite some excellent results, their intravenous administration results in high plasma concentration. This triggers off-target effects and sometimes poor targeted tissue distribution. To circumvent this issue, we investigated a local controlled-delivery approach using an in situ forming depot technology. Two clinically relevant mAbs, rituximab (RTX) and daratumumab (DARA), were formulated using an injectable technology based on biodegradable PEG-PLA copolymers. The stability and controlled release features of the formulations were investigated. HPLC and mass spectrometry revealed the preservation of the protein structure. In vitro binding of formulated antibodies to their target antigens and to their cellular FcγRIIIa natural killer cell receptor was fully maintained. Furthermore, encapsulated RTX was as efficient as classical intravenous RTX treatment to inhibit the in vivo tumor growth of malignant human B cells in immunodeficient NSG mice. Finally, the intra-articular administration of the formulated mAbs yielded a sustained local release associated with a lower plasma concentration compared to the intra-articular delivery of non-encapsulated mAbs. Our results demonstrate that the utilization of this polymeric technology is a reliable alternative for the local delivery of fully functional clinically relevant mAbs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Michael Constantinides
- IRMB, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France; IRMB, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Christian Jorgensen
- IRMB, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France; IRMB, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Daniele Noël
- IRMB, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France; IRMB, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | | | | | - Martin Villalba
- IRMB, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France; IRMB, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France; IRMB, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France; Institut Sainte-Catherine, Avignon, France.
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4
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Teixeira AAR, Carnero LR, Kuramoto A, Tang FHF, Gomes CH, Pereira NB, de Oliveira LC, Garrini R, Monteiro JS, Setubal JC, Sabino EC, Pasqualini R, Colli W, Arap W, Alves MJM, Cunha-Neto E, Giordano RJ. A refined genome phage display methodology delineates the human antibody response in patients with Chagas disease. iScience 2021; 24:102540. [PMID: 34142048 PMCID: PMC8185243 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Large-scale mapping of antigens and epitopes is pivotal for developing immunotherapies but challenging, especially for eukaryotic pathogens, owing to their large genomes. Here, we developed an integrated platform for genome phage display (gPhage) to show that unbiased libraries of the eukaryotic parasite Trypanosoma cruzi enable the identification of thousands of antigens recognized by serum samples from patients with Chagas disease. Because most of these antigens are hypothetical proteins, gPhage provides evidence of their expression during infection. We built and validated a comprehensive map of Chagas disease antibody response to show how linear and putative conformation epitopes, many rich in repetitive elements, allow the parasite to evade a buildup of neutralizing antibodies directed against protein domains that mediate infection pathogenesis. Thus, the gPhage platform is a reproducible and effective tool for rapid simultaneous identification of epitopes and antigens, not only in Chagas disease but perhaps also in globally emerging/reemerging acute pathogens. Genomic shotgun phage display (gPhage) of eukaryotes is feasible and promising. gPhage allows rapid antigen ID and epitope mapping, including 3D structures. Conformation epitopes can be identified and validated by using the gPhage platform. Most Chagas disease antigens are hypothetical proteins rich in repetitive elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Azevedo Reis Teixeira
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Luis Rodriguez Carnero
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Andréia Kuramoto
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, SP, 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Fenny Hui Fen Tang
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil.,Division of Cancer Biology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Carlos Hernique Gomes
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Natalia Bueno Pereira
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, SP, 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Léa Campos de Oliveira
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, SP, 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Regina Garrini
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, SP, 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Jhonatas Sirino Monteiro
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - João Carlos Setubal
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Ester Cerdeira Sabino
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, SP, 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Renata Pasqualini
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.,Division of Cancer Biology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Walter Colli
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Wadih Arap
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Maria Júlia Manso Alves
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Edécio Cunha-Neto
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, SP, 05403-000, Brazil.,Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, SP 01246-903, Brazil.,Institute for Investigation in Immunology (iii), INCT, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ricardo José Giordano
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil.,Institute for Investigation in Immunology (iii), INCT, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Pereira JC, Dos Santos Sousa P, De Souza LMB, Pasquali AKS, Bates M, Bates P, Thomaz Soccol V. The efficacy of recombinant protein lbk39 for the diagnosis of leishmaniosis in dogs. Parasitology 2021; 148:302-310. [PMID: 33070782 PMCID: PMC11010170 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182020001997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniosis is one of the most important zoonotic diseases on the planet and dogs are the main reservoir of canine visceral leishmaniosis (CVL) in endemic areas. They play an important role in human infection because in dogs the disease appears long time after infection, and they can move uncontrollably, contributing to disperse the parasite. To take the decision to treat the animals or for euthanasia, in an elimination programme, in order to reduce the parasitic load, it is necessary to diagnose correctly, having more effective tools. Our group has developed a new recombinant antigen-based kinesin-related gene of Leishmania braziliensis (Lbk39), which shows 59% amino acid identity to the L. infantum homologue. The Lbk39 gene was synthesized, inserted into the pLEXSY-sat2 vector and transfected into L. tarentolae cells by electroporation. The recombinant protein was secreted in the culture with a C-terminal histidine marker, purified, generating a product at 337.68 μg mL-1. A total of 152 sera from dog's endemic and non-endemic areas were used, being 78 positives and 75 negatives. The antigen Lbk39 showed 100% sensitivity and 96.1% specificity. We compared this antigen with other antigens such as total extract of the parasite, TRDPP, and our data indicate that Lbk39 has potential application in the diagnosis of CVL through antibody detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce Carvalho Pereira
- Federal University of Paraná, Post-graduate Course in Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology, Polytechnic Centre, Jardim das Américas, CEP 81530-980, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Pedro Dos Santos Sousa
- Federal University of Paraná, Post-graduate Course in Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology, Polytechnic Centre, Jardim das Américas, CEP 81530-980, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Ligia Moraes Barizon De Souza
- Federal University of Paraná, Post-graduate Course in Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology, Polytechnic Centre, Jardim das Américas, CEP 81530-980, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Aline Kuhn Sbruzzi Pasquali
- Federal University of Paraná, Post-graduate Course in Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology, Polytechnic Centre, Jardim das Américas, CEP 81530-980, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Michelle Bates
- Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Paul Bates
- Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Vanete Thomaz Soccol
- Federal University of Paraná, Post-graduate Course in Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology, Polytechnic Centre, Jardim das Américas, CEP 81530-980, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
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Leishmania infantum recombinant kinesin degenerated derived repeat (rKDDR): A novel potential antigen for serodiagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0211719. [PMID: 30703138 PMCID: PMC6355020 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kala-azar, the most severe form of leishmaniasis, can lead to death if not properly diagnosed and treated. Correct identification of infected patients and reservoirs is vital for controlling the spread of leishmaniasis. Current diagnostic kits for leishmaniasis show high sensitivity and specificity, but can also result in false negatives and cross reactions with related parasitic infections. New diagnostic methods with greater accuracy are urgently needed for diagnosis of leishmaniasis. In this study, we aimed to uncover a new highly effective antigen for the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis in dogs and humans, aiming to improve the accuracy compared with those of current methods of diagnosis. Initially, in-silico epitope prediction analyses identified several potential B-cell epitopes in the repetitive region of Leishmania infantum kinesin, which co-localized with predicted structural disordered regions, suggesting high potential for antigenicity. Based on this analysis, 8.5 genomic motifs, which encode the repetitive sequence of 39 degenerate amino acids, were selected for recombinant expression. BLASTn analysis of this repetitive region indicated that it is absent in the T. cruzi parasite, which is closely related to Leishmania, indicating the specificity of this region. This potentially antigenic protein, named recombinant kinesin degenerated derived repeat (rKDDR), was recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli BL21-Star using the pET28a-TEV expression vector. We then evaluated the performance of rKDDR in correctly diagnosing Leishmania infection and compared this new assay with currently used diagnostic tests for leishmaniasis. rKDDR showed greater sensitivity and specificity in correctly diagnosing leishmaniasis both in human (sensitivity 92.86% and specificity 100%) and canine (sensitivity 88.54% and specificity 97.30%) sera compared with those of rK39 (human: sensitivity 90.48% and specificity 97.92%; canine: sensitivity 78.13% and specificity 90.09%). In addition, the rKDDR-ELISA outperformed the EIE-LVC kit, which is the serologic kit recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health for the diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis. These results indicate that rKDDR is a highly promising candidate for diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis, and is more accurate than the currently used gold-standard antigens.
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Fathi S, Jalousian F, Hosseini SH, Najafi A, Darabi E, Koohsar F. Design and construction of a new recombinant fusion protein (2b2t+EPC1) and its assessment for serodiagnosis of cystic echinococcosis. APMIS 2018; 126:428-439. [PMID: 29696723 DOI: 10.1111/apm.12838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The immunodiagnostic tests for cystic echinococcosis (CE) are mostly serological tests based on ELISA that use hydatid cyst antigens for primary screening because of its simple preparation and availability. The challenge to develop new serological methods (as compared to those based on the hydatid cyst fluid antigens) to meet the gold standard remains. Appropriate sources of antigenic material are necessary for application to improve the efficacy of immunodiagnostic tests at a population level. In the current study, a fusion protein containing the coding sequence of antigen B2t and two sequences of EPC1 antigen with some modifications was reconstructed. Using bioinformatics tools, these sequences were joined together by applying the sequence of a rigid α-helix-forming linker to obtain an appropriate structure of a fusion protein. Synthetic recombinant fusion protein was expressed using pET28a as a vector and evaluated by indirect ELISA test for sera from patients with hepatic CE and other parasitic infections. The sensitivity of the fusion protein was lower (88.46%) than the available ELISA kit (96.15%). However, the differences in sensitivity were not statistically significant as compared to the recombinant fusion peptide with the commercial kit (p = 0.269). The specificity of the recombinant fusion protein (95.45%) was not significantly lower than the commercial kit (96.59%; p = 1.000). Moreover, surprisingly there was no difference in the cross-reactivity values of performance between the recombinant-ELISA and commercial kit. The positive and negative predictive values of the recombinant antigen were achieved as 92% and 93.33%, respectively, while for the commercial kit, they were obtained as 94.33% and 97.70%, respectively. In conclusion, as an early evaluation of these antigens the performance of our recombinant fusion protein in ELISA is relatively promising. Although, it seemed that this peptide with specific antigenic epitopes might be more appropriate for the serological evaluation of CE by use of bioinformatics tools, our findings showed that cross-reactions and a negative reaction could occur in clinical performance. This fusion protein may have utility for diagnosis in humans, but further evaluation is needed using the WHO ultrasound classification for CE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeid Fathi
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Jalousian
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Hossein Hosseini
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Najafi
- Molecular Biology Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisoning Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Enayat Darabi
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Faramarz Koohsar
- Paramedical Faculty, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
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Magalhães FB, Castro Neto AL, Nascimento MB, Santos WJT, Medeiros ZM, Lima Neto AS, Costa DL, Costa CHN, dos Santos WLC, Pontes de Carvalho LC, Oliveira GGS, de Melo Neto OP. Evaluation of a new set of recombinant antigens for the serological diagnosis of human and canine visceral leishmaniasis. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184867. [PMID: 28957332 PMCID: PMC5619722 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Current strategies for the control of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (VL) rely on its efficient diagnosis in both human and canine hosts. The most promising and cost effective approach is based on serologic assays with recombinant proteins. However, no single antigen has been found so far which can be effectively used to detect the disease in both dogs and humans. In previous works, we identified Leishmania infantum antigens with potential for the serodiagnosis of VL. Here, we aimed to expand the panel of the available antigens for VL diagnosis through another screening of a genomic expression library. Seven different protein-coding gene fragments were identified, five of which encoding proteins which have not been previously studied in Leishmania and rich in repetitive motifs. Poly-histidine tagged polypeptides were generated from six genes and evaluated for their potential for diagnosis of VL by ELISA (Enzyme Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay) with sera from infected humans and dogs. None of those was valid for the detection of human VL (26–52% sensitivity) although their performance was increased in the canine sera (48–91% sensitivity), with one polypeptide useful for the diagnosis of canine leishmaniasis. Next, we assayed a mixture of three antigens, found to be best for human or canine VL, among 13 identified through different screenings. This “Mix” resulted in similar levels of sensitivity for both human (84%) and canine (88%) sera. With improvements, this validates the use of multiple proteins, including antigens identified here, as components of a single system for the diagnosis of both forms of leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Artur L. Castro Neto
- Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz-Pernambuco), Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Marilia B. Nascimento
- Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz-Pernambuco), Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Wagner J. T. Santos
- Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz-Pernambuco), Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Zulma M. Medeiros
- Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz-Pernambuco), Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | | | - Dorcas L. Costa
- Instituto de Doenças Tropicais Natan Portella (IDTNP), Teresina, Piaui, Brazil
| | - Carlos H. N. Costa
- Instituto de Doenças Tropicais Natan Portella (IDTNP), Teresina, Piaui, Brazil
| | | | | | - Geraldo G. S. Oliveira
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz-Bahia), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Osvaldo P. de Melo Neto
- Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz-Pernambuco), Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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9
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Santos FLN, Celedon PAF, Zanchin NIT, de Souza WV, da Silva ED, Foti L, Krieger MA, Gomes YDM. Accuracy of chimeric proteins in the serological diagnosis of chronic chagas disease - a Phase II study. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005433. [PMID: 28273127 PMCID: PMC5358787 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Revised: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The performance of current serologic tests for diagnosing chronic Chagas disease (CD) is highly variable. The search for new diagnostic markers has been a constant challenge for improving accuracy and reducing the number of inconclusive results. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Here, four chimeric proteins (IBMP-8.1 to -8.4) comprising immunodominant regions of different Trypanosoma cruzi antigens were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The proteins were used to detect specific anti-T. cruzi antibodies in the sera of 857 chagasic and 689 non-chagasic individuals to evaluate their accuracy for chronic CD diagnosis. The antigens were recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by chromatographic methods. The sensitivity and specificity values ranged from 94.3% to 99.3% and 99.4% to 100%, respectively. The diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) values were 6,462 for IBMP-8.1, 3,807 for IBMP-8.2, 32,095 for IBMP-8.3, and 283,714 for IBMP-8.4. These chimeric antigens presented DORs that were higher than the commercial test Pathozyme Chagas. The antigens IBMP-8.3 and -8.4 also showed DORs higher than the Gold ELISA Chagas test. Mixtures with equimolar concentrations were tested in order to improve the diagnosis accuracy of negative samples with high signal and positive samples with low signal. However, no gain in accuracy was observed relative to the individual antigens. A total of 1,079 additional sera were used to test cross-reactivity to unrelated diseases. The cross-reactivity rates ranged from 0.37% to 0.74% even for Leishmania spp., a pathogen showing relatively high genome sequence identity to T. cruzi. Imprecision analyses showed that IBMP chimeras are very stable and the results are highly reproducible. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Our findings indicate that the IBMP-8.4 antigen can be safely used in serological tests for T. cruzi screening in blood banks and for chronic CD laboratory diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fred Luciano Neves Santos
- Aggeu Magalhães Research Center, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
- Chagas Disease Integrated Program, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- * E-mail:
| | | | | | | | - Edimilson Domingos da Silva
- Chagas Disease Integrated Program, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Biomanguinhos, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Foti
- Molecular Biology Institute of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
- Carlos Chagas Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Marco Aurélio Krieger
- Chagas Disease Integrated Program, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Molecular Biology Institute of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
- Carlos Chagas Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Yara de Miranda Gomes
- Aggeu Magalhães Research Center, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
- Chagas Disease Integrated Program, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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10
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Fathi S, Jalousian F, Hosseini SH, Parsa H, Kordafshari S. A Study of Cross-Reactivity Between Recombinant EPC1 Antigen of Echinococcus granulosus in Serum from Patients with Confirmed Cystic Echinococcosis Infection and Other Parasitic Infections. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2016; 94:1313-7. [PMID: 27091868 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A standardized test for the serodiagnosis of cystic echinococcosis (CE) remains an important challenge because of the problems in specificity and sensitivity of the available commercial kits and lack of proper evaluation of antigen. Using appropriate sources of antigenic material is crucial in improvement of the serological methods such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of protein named Echinococcus protoscolex calcium binding protein EPC1 for the detection of antibodies in sera from patients with CE. Expressed and purified recombinant protein EPC1 (rEPC1) was used as antigen in ELISA method. Characterization of the rEPC1 antigen was evaluated using the serum of 25 patients with both surgical and imaging confirmed CE and 25 healthy donors as negative controls. Also, a panel of sera including chronic toxoplasmosis (IgG positive), strongyloidosis, fascioliasis, toxocariasis, and kala azar were used and patients with related parasites were confirmed by medical laboratories or clinically by research centers using microscopy or specific ELISA. rEPC1 showed relatively promising performance in total IgG ELISA for the detection of antibodies in sera from the negative controls, and the cut off value 0.4 units of optical density at 490 nm was calculated for ELISA. In this study, sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 93.7, positive predictive value of 92.6%, and negative predictive value of 100% were calculated for rEPC1. On the other hand, commercial ELISA kit based on the native antigen B of Echinococcus granulosus had sensitivity of 96.2% and specificity of 96.8%. No significant difference was found for sensitivity or specificity between the rEPC1 and commercial kit. However, rEPC1 may be a valuable antigen for diagnosis of human CE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeid Fathi
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran; Department of Surgery, Velayat Hospital, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Jalousian
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran; Department of Surgery, Velayat Hospital, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Seyed Hossein Hosseini
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran; Department of Surgery, Velayat Hospital, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Hossein Parsa
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran; Department of Surgery, Velayat Hospital, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Somayeh Kordafshari
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran; Department of Surgery, Velayat Hospital, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
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11
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A TeGM6-4r antigen-based immunochromatographic test (ICT) for animal trypanosomosis. Parasitol Res 2015; 114:4319-25. [PMID: 26290217 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-015-4672-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Animal trypanosomosis is a disease that is distributed worldwide which results in huge economic losses due to reduced animal productivity. Endemic regions are often located in the countryside where laboratory diagnosis is costly or inaccessible. The establishment of simple, effective, and accurate field tests is therefore of great interest to the farming and veterinary sectors. Our study aimed to develop a simple, rapid, and sensitive immunochromatographic test (ICT) for animal trypanosomosis utilizing the recombinant tandem repeat antigen TeGM6-4r, which is conserved amongst salivarian trypanosome species. In the specificity analysis, TeGM6-4r/ICT detected all of Trypanosoma evansi-positive controls from experimentally infected water buffaloes. As expected, uninfected controls tested negative. All sera samples collected from Tanzanian and Ugandan cattle that were Trypanosoma congolense- and/or Trypanosoma vivax-positive by microscopic examination of the buffy coat were found to be positive by the newly developed TeGM6-4r/ICT, which was comparable to results from TeGM6-4r/ELISA (kappa coefficient [κ] = 0.78). TeGM6/ICT also showed substantial agreement with ELISA using Trypanosoma brucei brucei (κ = 0.64) and T. congolense (κ = 0.72) crude antigen, suggesting the high potential of TeGM6-4r/ICT as a field diagnostic test, both for research purposes and on-site diagnosis of animal trypanosomosis.
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12
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Niu Q, Marchand J, Yang C, Bonsergent C, Guan G, Yin H, Malandrin L. Rhoptry-associated protein (rap-1) genes in the sheep pathogen Babesia sp. Xinjiang: Multiple transcribed copies differing by 3' end repeated sequences. Vet Parasitol 2015; 211:158-69. [PMID: 26026806 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2015.04.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2014] [Revised: 04/24/2015] [Accepted: 04/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Sheep babesiosis occurs mainly in tropical and subtropical areas. The sheep parasite Babesia sp. Xinjiang is widespread in China, and our goal is to characterize rap-1 (rhoptry-associated protein 1) gene diversity and expression as a first step of a long term goal aiming at developing a recombinant subunit vaccine. Seven different rap-1a genes were amplified in Babesia sp. Xinjiang, using degenerate primers designed from conserved motifs. Rap-1b and rap-1c gene types could not be identified. In all seven rap-1a genes, the 5' regions exhibited identical sequences over 936 nt, and the 3' regions differed at 28 positions over 147 nt, defining two types of genes designated α and β. The remaining 3' part varied from 72 to 360 nt in length, depending on the gene. This region consists of a succession of two to ten 36 nt repeats, which explains the size differences. Even if the nucleotide sequences varied, 6 repeats encoded the same stretch of amino acids. Transcription of at least four α and two β genes was demonstrated by standard RT-PCR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingli Niu
- INRA, UMR1300 Biology, Epidemiology and Risk Analysis in Animal Health, CS 40706, F-44307 Nantes, France; LUNAM Université, Oniris, UMR1300 BioEpAR, F-44307 Nantes, France; State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, LVRI, Lanzhou, China.
| | - Jordan Marchand
- INRA, UMR1300 Biology, Epidemiology and Risk Analysis in Animal Health, CS 40706, F-44307 Nantes, France; LUNAM Université, Oniris, UMR1300 BioEpAR, F-44307 Nantes, France
| | - Congshan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, LVRI, Lanzhou, China
| | - Claire Bonsergent
- INRA, UMR1300 Biology, Epidemiology and Risk Analysis in Animal Health, CS 40706, F-44307 Nantes, France; LUNAM Université, Oniris, UMR1300 BioEpAR, F-44307 Nantes, France
| | - Guiquan Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, LVRI, Lanzhou, China
| | - Hong Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, LVRI, Lanzhou, China
| | - Laurence Malandrin
- INRA, UMR1300 Biology, Epidemiology and Risk Analysis in Animal Health, CS 40706, F-44307 Nantes, France; LUNAM Université, Oniris, UMR1300 BioEpAR, F-44307 Nantes, France
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13
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Floridia-Yapur N, Vega-Benedetti AF, Rumi MM, Ragone P, Lauthier JJ, Tomasini N, d'Amato AMA, Lopez-Quiroga I, Diosque P, Marcipar I, Nasser JR, Cimino RO. Evaluation of recombinant antigens of Trypanosoma cruzi to diagnose infection in naturally infected dogs from Chaco region, Argentina. Parasite Immunol 2015; 36:694-9. [PMID: 25201522 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Dogs are considered the main mammal reservoir of Trypanosoma cruzi in domiciliary environments. Consequently, accurate detection of T. cruzi infection in canine populations is epidemiologically relevant. Here, we analysed the utility of the T. cruzi recombinant antigens FRA, SAPA, CP1, Ag1 and a SAPA/TSSA VI mixture, in an ELISA format. We used a positive control group of sera obtained from 38 dogs from the Chaco region in Argentina with positive homogenate-ELISA reaction, all of them also positive by xenodiagnosis and/or PCR. The negative group included 19 dogs from a nonendemic area. Sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating charactheristic (ROC) curve and Kappa index were obtained to compare the diagnostic efficiency of the tests. The SAPA/TSSA VI had the highest performance, with a sensitivity of 94.7% and an AUC ROC of 0.99 that indicates high accuracy. Among individual antigens, SAPA-ELISA yielded the highest sensitivity (86.8%) and AUC ROC (0.96), whereas FRA-ELISA was the least efficient test (sensitivity = 36.8%; AUC ROC = 0.53). Our results showed that the use of SAPA/TSSA VI in ELISAs could be a useful tool to study dogs naturally infected with T. cruzi in endemic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Floridia-Yapur
- Cátedra de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones de Enfermedades Tropicales, Sede Regional Orán, Universidad Nacional de Salta (IIET), Salta, Argentina
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14
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Bottino CG, Gomes LP, Pereira JB, Coura JR, Provance DW, De-Simone SG. Chagas disease-specific antigens: characterization of epitopes in CRA/FRA by synthetic peptide mapping and evaluation by ELISA-peptide assay. BMC Infect Dis 2013; 13:568. [PMID: 24299278 PMCID: PMC3890492 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-13-568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2013] [Accepted: 11/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The identification of epitopes in proteins recognized by medically relevant antibodies is useful for the development of peptide-based diagnostics and vaccines. In this study, epitopes in the cytoplasmic repetitive antigen (CRA) and flagellar repetitive antigen (FRA) proteins from Trypanosoma cruzi were identified using synthetic peptide techniques and pooled sera from Chagasic patients. The epitopes were further assayed with an ELISA assay based on synthetic peptides. Methods Twenty-two overlapping synthetic peptides representing the coding sequence of the T. cruzi CRA and FRA proteins were assessed by a Spot-synthesis array analysis using sera donated by patients with Chagas disease. Shorter peptides were selected that represented the determined epitopes and synthesized by solid phase synthesis to evaluate the patterns of cross-reactivities and discrimination through an ELISA-diagnostic assay. Results The peptide Spot-synthesis array successfully identified two IgG antigenic determinants in the CRA protein and four in FRA. Bioinformatics suggested that the CRA antigens were unique to T. cruzi while the FRA antigen showed similarity with sequences present within various proteins from Leishmania sp. Subsequently, shorter peptides representing the CRA-1, CRA-2 and FRA-1 epitopes were synthesized by solid phase synthesis and assayed by an ELISA-diagnostic assay. The CRA antigens gave a high discrimination between Chagasic, Leishmaniasis and T. cruzi-uninfected serum. A sensitivity and specificity of 100% was calculated for CRA. While the FRA antigen showed a slightly lower sensitivity (91.6%), its specificity was only 60%. Conclusions The epitopes recognized by human anti-T. cruzi antibodies have been precisely located in two biomarkers of T. cruzi, CRA and FRA. The results from screening a panel of patient sera through an ELISA assay based on peptides representing these epitopes strongly suggest that the sequences from CRA would be useful for the development of diagnostic reagents that could improve upon the sensitivity and specificity of currently available diagnostic tests. Overall, the results provide further evidence of the usefulness of identifying specific linear B-cell epitopes for improving diagnostic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Salvatore G De-Simone
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Saúde (CDTS)/Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Inovação em Doenças Negligenciadas (INCT-IDN), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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15
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Mendes TADO, Reis Cunha JL, de Almeida Lourdes R, Rodrigues Luiz GF, Lemos LD, dos Santos ARR, da Câmara ACJ, Galvão LMDC, Bern C, Gilman RH, Fujiwara RT, Gazzinelli RT, Bartholomeu DC. Identification of strain-specific B-cell epitopes in Trypanosoma cruzi using genome-scale epitope prediction and high-throughput immunoscreening with peptide arrays. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2013; 7:e2524. [PMID: 24205430 PMCID: PMC3814679 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2013] [Accepted: 09/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The factors influencing variation in the clinical forms of Chagas disease have not been elucidated; however, it is likely that the genetics of both the host and the parasite are involved. Several studies have attempted to correlate the T. cruzi strains involved in infection with the clinical forms of the disease by using hemoculture and/or PCR-based genotyping of parasites from infected human tissues. However, both techniques have limitations that hamper the analysis of large numbers of samples. The goal of this work was to identify conserved and polymorphic linear B-cell epitopes of T. cruzi that could be used for serodiagnosis and serotyping of Chagas disease using ELISA. Methodology By performing B-cell epitope prediction on proteins derived from pair of alleles of the hybrid CL Brener genome, we have identified conserved and polymorphic epitopes in the two CL Brener haplotypes. The rationale underlying this strategy is that, because CL Brener is a recent hybrid between the TcII and TcIII DTUs (discrete typing units), it is likely that polymorphic epitopes in pairs of alleles could also be polymorphic in the parental genotypes. We excluded sequences that are also present in the Leishmania major, L. infantum, L. braziliensis and T. brucei genomes to minimize the chance of cross-reactivity. A peptide array containing 150 peptides was covalently linked to a cellulose membrane, and the reactivity of the peptides was tested using sera from C57BL/6 mice chronically infected with the Colombiana (TcI) and CL Brener (TcVI) clones and Y (TcII) strain. Findings and Conclusions A total of 36 peptides were considered reactive, and the cross-reactivity among the strains is in agreement with the evolutionary origin of the different T. cruzi DTUs. Four peptides were tested against a panel of chagasic patients using ELISA. A conserved peptide showed 95.8% sensitivity, 88.5% specificity, and 92.7% accuracy for the identification of T. cruzi in patients infected with different strains of the parasite. Therefore, this peptide, in association with other T. cruzi antigens, may improve Chagas disease serodiagnosis. Together, three polymorphic epitopes were able to discriminate between the three parasite strains used in this study and are thus potential targets for Chagas disease serotyping. Serological tests are preferentially used for the diagnosis of Chagas disease during the chronic phase because of the low parasitemia and high anti-T. cruzi antibody titers. However, contradictory or inconclusive results, mainly related to the characteristics of the antigens used, are often observed. Additionally, the factors influencing variation in the clinical forms of Chagas disease have not been elucidated, although it is likely that host and parasite genetics are involved. Several studies attempting to correlate the parasite strain with the clinical forms have used hemoculture and/or PCR-based genotyping. However, both techniques have limitations. Hemoculture requires the isolation of parasites from patient blood and the growth of these parasites in animals or in vitro culture, thereby possibly selecting certain subpopulations. Moreover, the level of parasitemia in the chronic phase is very low, hindering the detection of parasites. Additionally, direct genotyping of parasites from infected tissues is an invasive procedure that requires medical care and hinders studies with a large number of samples. The goal of this work was to identify conserved and polymorphic linear B-cell epitopes of T. cruzi on a genome-wide scale for use in the serodiagnosis and serotyping of Chagas disease using ELISA. Development of a serotyping method based on the detection of strain-specific antibodies may help to understand the relationship between the infecting strain and disease evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - João Luís Reis Cunha
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil
| | | | | | - Lucas Dhom Lemos
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil
| | | | | | | | - Caryn Bern
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Robert H. Gilman
- Universidad Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | | | - Ricardo Tostes Gazzinelli
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil
- Centro de Pesquisas Rene Rachou – Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brasil
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
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16
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Vega Benedetti AF, Cimino RO, Cajal PS, Juarez MDV, Villalpando CA, Gil JF, Marcipar IS, Krolewiecki AJ, Nasser JR. Performance of different Trypanosoma cruzi antigens in the diagnosis of Chagas disease in patients with American cutaneous leishmaniasis from a co-endemic region in Argentina. Trop Med Int Health 2013; 18:1103-1109. [PMID: 23837449 DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the ability of recombinant antigens to detect cases of infection with Trypanosoma cruzi among cases of infection with Leishmania spp. by serological methods. METHODS Sera from 41 patients infected with Leishmania spp. were evaluated with ELISA using single (FRA, CP1 and TSSAVI) or pooled (commercial Rec-ELISA) recombinant proteins or homogenate antigens (commercial H-ELISA). As there is no gold standard antigen to discriminate Chagas disease from leishmaniasis, the correlation of results between defined antigens and the homogenate was made with Kappa Index (KI), the level of correlation considered being used as a criterion of specificity. RESULTS Single recombinant antigens and Rec-ELISA showed good correlation (KI > 0.8). A low correlation (KI < 0.66) was observed between the results from single recombinant antigens or the commercial recombinant kit and H-ELISA. CONCLUSIONS The highly correlated results between T. cruzi single or pooled recombinant proteins are indicative of the usefulness of recombinant antigens for Chagas diagnosis. Our results also indicate that in the city of Oran in Argentina, between 12% and 17% of patients with leishmaniasis are also infected with Chagas disease. The high KI values between TSSAVI and the other recombinant proteins suggest that in these patients, the infection may be caused by T. cruzi II and/or V and/or VI lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- A F Vega Benedetti
- Cátedra de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones de Enfermedades Tropicales, Sede Regional Orán, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina.,Instituto de Patología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina
| | - Rubén O Cimino
- Cátedra de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones de Enfermedades Tropicales, Sede Regional Orán, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina
| | - Pamela S Cajal
- Instituto de Investigaciones de Enfermedades Tropicales, Sede Regional Orán, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina
| | - Marisa Del Valle Juarez
- Instituto de Investigaciones de Enfermedades Tropicales, Sede Regional Orán, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina
| | - Carlos A Villalpando
- Instituto de Investigaciones de Enfermedades Tropicales, Sede Regional Orán, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina
| | - José F Gil
- Instituto de Investigaciones de Enfermedades Tropicales, Sede Regional Orán, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Iván S Marcipar
- Laboratorio de Tecnología Inmunológica, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alejandro J Krolewiecki
- Instituto de Investigaciones de Enfermedades Tropicales, Sede Regional Orán, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina.,Instituto de Patología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Julio R Nasser
- Cátedra de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones de Enfermedades Tropicales, Sede Regional Orán, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina
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17
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Synthesis of latex-antigen complexes from single and multiepitope recombinant proteins. Application in immunoagglutination assays for the diagnosis of Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2013; 101:384-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2012.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2012] [Revised: 07/11/2012] [Accepted: 07/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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18
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dos Santos SL, Freitas LM, Lobo FP, Rodrigues-Luiz GF, Mendes TADO, Oliveira ACS, Andrade LO, Chiari É, Gazzinelli RT, Teixeira SMR, Fujiwara RT, Bartholomeu DC. The MASP family of Trypanosoma cruzi: changes in gene expression and antigenic profile during the acute phase of experimental infection. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2012; 6:e1779. [PMID: 22905275 PMCID: PMC3419193 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2012] [Accepted: 07/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiological agent of Chagas disease, a debilitating illness that affects millions of people in the Americas. A major finding of the T. cruzi genome project was the discovery of a novel multigene family composed of approximately 1,300 genes that encode mucin-associated surface proteins (MASPs). The high level of polymorphism of the MASP family associated with its localization at the surface of infective forms of the parasite suggests that MASP participates in host-parasite interactions. We speculate that the large repertoire of MASP sequences may contribute to the ability of T. cruzi to infect several host cell types and/or participate in host immune evasion mechanisms. METHODS By sequencing seven cDNA libraries, we analyzed the MASP expression profile in trypomastigotes derived from distinct host cells and after sequential passages in acutely infected mice. Additionally, to investigate the MASP antigenic profile, we performed B-cell epitope prediction on MASP proteins and designed a MASP-specific peptide array with 110 putative epitopes, which was screened with sera from acutely infected mice. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS We observed differential expression of a few MASP genes between trypomastigotes derived from epithelial and myoblast cell lines. The more pronounced MASP expression changes were observed between bloodstream and tissue-culture trypomastigotes and between bloodstream forms from sequential passages in acutely infected mice. Moreover, we demonstrated that different MASP members were expressed during the acute T. cruzi infection and constitute parasite antigens that are recognized by IgG and IgM antibodies. We also found that distinct MASP peptides could trigger different antibody responses and that the antibody level against a given peptide may vary after sequential passages in mice. We speculate that changes in the large repertoire of MASP antigenic peptides during an infection may contribute to the evasion of host immune responses during the acute phase of Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Lopes dos Santos
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Francisco Pereira Lobo
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Égler Chiari
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Falconar AKI. Epitope reactions can be gauged by relative antibody discriminating specificity (RADS) values supported by deletion, substitution and cysteine bridge formation analyses: potential uses in pathogenesis studies. BMC Res Notes 2012; 5:208. [PMID: 22546090 PMCID: PMC3392722 DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-5-208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2011] [Accepted: 04/30/2012] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Epitope-mapping of infectious agents is essential for pathogenesis studies. Since polyclonal antibodies (PAbs) and monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) are always polyspecific and can react with multiple epitopes, it is important to distinguish between specific and non-specific reactions. Relative antibody discriminating specificity (RADS) values, obtained from their relative ELISA reactions with L-amino acid peptides prepared in the natural versus reverse orientations (x-fold absorbance natural/absorbance reverse = RADS value) may be valuable for this purpose. PAbs generated against the dengue type-2 virus (DENV-2) nonstructural-1 (NS1) glycoprotein candidate vaccine also reacted with both DENV envelope (E) glycoproteins and blood-clotting proteins. New xKGSx/xSGKx amino acid motifs were identified on DENV-2 glycoproteins, HIV-1 gp41 and factor IXa. Their potential roles in DENV and HIV-1 antibody-enhanced replication (AER) and auto-immunity were assessed. In this study, a) RADS values were determined for MAbs and PAbs, generated in congeneic (H2: class II) mice against DENV NS1 glycoprotein epitopes, to account for their cross-reaction patterns, and b) MAb 1G5.3 reactions with xKGSx/xSGKx motifs present in the DENV-4 NS1, E and HIV-1 glycoproteins and factor IXa were assessed after the introduction of amino acid substitutions, deletions, or intra-/inter-cysteine (C-C) bridges. Results MAbs 1H7.4, 5H4.3, 3D1.4 and 1G5.3 had high (4.23- to 16.83-fold) RADS values against single epitopes on the DENV-2 NS1 glycoprotein, and MAb 3D1.4 defined the DENV complex-conserved LX1 epitope. In contrast, MAbs 1G5.4-A1-C3 and 1C6.3 had low (0.47- to 1.67-fold) RADS values against multiple epitopes. PAb DENV complex-reactions occurred through moderately-high (2.77- and 3.11-fold) RADS values against the LX1 epitope. MAb 1G5.3 reacted with xSGKx motifs present in DENV-4 NS1 and E glycoproteins, HIV-1 gp41 and factor IXa, while natural C-C bridge formations or certain amino acid substitutions increased its binding activity. Conclusions These results: i) were readily obtained using a standard 96-well ELISA format, ii) showed the LX1 epitope to be the immuno-dominant DENV complex determinant in the NS1 glycoprotein, iii) supported an antigenic co-evolution of the DENV NS1 and E glycoproteins, and iv) identified methods that made it possible to determine the role of anti-DENV PAb reactions in viral pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew K I Falconar
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Enfermedades Tropicales, Departamento de Medicina, Universidad del Norte, Km5 Antigua via Puerto Colombia, Barranquilla, Colombia.
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Improved serodiagnosis of cystic echinococcosis using the new recombinant 2B2t antigen. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2012; 6:e1714. [PMID: 22802975 PMCID: PMC3389031 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2012] [Accepted: 05/16/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A standardized test for the serodiagnosis of human cystic echinococcosis (CE) is still needed, because of the low specificity and sensitivity of the currently available commercial tools and the lack of proper evaluation of the existing recombinant antigens. In a previous work, we defined the new ELISA-B2t diagnostic tool for the detection of specific IgGs in CE patients, which showed high sensitivity and specificity, and was useful in monitoring the clinical evolution of surgically treated CE patients. Nevertheless, this recombinant antigen gave rise to false-negative results in a percentage of CE patients. Therefore, in an attempt to improve its sensitivity, we constructed B2t-derived recombinant antigens with two, four and eight tandem repeat of B2t units, and tested them by ELISA on serum samples of CE patients and patients with related parasites. The best diagnostic values were obtained with the two tandem repeat 2B2t antigen. The influence of several clinical variables on the performance of the tests was also evaluated. Finally, the diagnostic performance of the 2B2t-ELISA was compared with that of an indirect haemagglutination commercial test. The 2B2t recombinant antigen performed better than the HF and B2t antigens, and the IHA commercial kit. Therefore, this new 2B2t-ELISA is a promising candidate test for the serodiagnosis of CE in clinical settings. Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a widespread zoonotic disease. Its complex clinical presentation precludes a “one-size-fits-all” approach to clinical management, particularly with regard to serodiagnosis. While CE is often detected incidentally by imaging, imaging findings may be inconclusive. Therefore, there is a need for standardised and approachable diagnostic tools that may complement imaging data. In this regard, serological tests based in the use of native antigens like hydatid fluid present a low specificity and sensitivity. Although recombinant antigens with potential to replace native antigens have been proposed in the literature, none has been systematically tested for diagnostic performance. Here, we describe the new recombinant antigen 2B2t, derived from the previously described recombinant B2t, and determine its usefulness for the serodiagnosis of CE by ELISA in patients with a complete set of clinical data. The influence of clinical variables on the performance of 2B2t was evaluated and compared with the hydatid fluid (the most commonly used antigen for CE serology) and a commercial diagnostic kit based on the haemagglutination reaction. Our results show that the 2B2t antigen has potential to be routinely used for the standardised diagnosis of CE in clinical settings.
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Immunogenicity of protein aggregates--concerns and realities. Int J Pharm 2012; 431:1-11. [PMID: 22546296 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2012.04.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2012] [Revised: 04/10/2012] [Accepted: 04/13/2012] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Protein aggregation is one of the key challenges in the development of protein biotherapeutics. It is a critical product quality issue as well as a potential safety concern due to the increased immunogenicity potential of these aggregates. The overwhelming safety concern has led to an increased development effort and regulatory scrutiny in recent years. The main purposes of this review are to examine the literature data on the relationship between protein aggregates and immunogenicity, to highlight the linkage and existing inconsistencies/uncertainties, and to propose directions for future investigations/development.
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Tandem repeat protein as potential diagnostic antigen for Trypanosoma evansi infection. Parasitol Res 2011; 110:733-9. [PMID: 21927872 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-011-2632-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2011] [Accepted: 07/01/2011] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Trypanosoma evansi infection (surra) causes significant losses in livestock production in tropical and sub-tropical areas. The current ELISA recommended by OIE for diagnosis of the disease is based on trypanosome lysate antigen. However, antigenic variation and unstable nature of cell lysate antigen make it difficult to standardize the assay. Thus, there are needs to develop recombinant antigen-based ELISA that improve stability, sensitivity, and specificity of the test. Since tandem repeat (TR) proteins of trypanosomatid parasites generally possess high antigenicity, they have been considered to be the promising antigens for trypanosomosis and leishmaniosis. In this study, IgG responses against 14 recombinant TR proteins of trypanosomes were examined by ELISA. Serum samples were obtained from three water buffaloes experimentally infected with T. evansi. Since Trypanosoma congolense GM6 (TcoGM6) elicited highest IgG responses to all water buffaloes, we further bioinformatically and molecular biologically identified Trypanosoma brucei brucei GM6 (TbbGM6) and T. evansi GM6 (TeGM6) TR genes, respectively. As expected, predicted amino acid sequences of TbbGM6 and TeGM6 were identical while the nucleic acid sequence homology between TbbGM6 and TcoGM6 was 63.8%. All buffaloes became clearly positive in recombinant TbbGM6 (rTbbGM6)-based ELISA at 48 days post-infection, suggesting that rTbbGM6 is usable as a serodiagnostic antigen for chronic T. evansi infection.
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