1
|
Majeau A, Dumonteil E, Herrera C. Identification of highly conserved Trypanosoma cruzi antigens for the development of a universal serological diagnostic assay. Emerg Microbes Infect 2024; 13:2315964. [PMID: 38381980 PMCID: PMC10883094 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2024.2315964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Chagas Disease is an important neglected tropical disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi. There is no gold standard for diagnosis and commercial serological tests perform poorly in certain locations. By aligning T. cruzi genomes covering parasite genetic and geographic diversity, we identified highly conserved proteins that could serve as universal antigens for improved diagnosis. Their antigenicity was tested in high-density peptide microarrays using well-characterized plasma samples, including samples presenting true infections but discordant serology. Individual and combination of epitopes were also evaluated in peptide-ELISAs. We identified >1400 highly conserved T. cruzi proteins evaluated in microarrays. Remarkably, T. cruzi positive controls had a different epitope recognition profile compared to serologically discordant samples. In particular, multiple T. cruzi antigens used in current tests and their strain-variants, and novel epitopes thought to be broadly antigenic failed to be recognized by discordant samples. Nonetheless, >2000 epitopes specifically recognized by IgGs from both positive controls and discordant samples were identified. Evaluation of selected peptides in ELISA further illustrated the extensive variation in antibody profiles among subjects and a peptide combination could outperform a commercial ELISA, increasing assay sensitivity from 52.3% to 72.7%. Individual variation in antibody profiles rather than T. cruzi diversity appears to be the main factor driving differences in serological diagnostic performance according to geography, which will be important to further elucidate. ELISA with a combination of peptides recognized by a greater number of individuals could better capture infections, and further development may lead to an optimal antigen mixture for a universal diagnostic assay.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Majeau
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and Vector-Borne and Infectious Disease Research Center, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Eric Dumonteil
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and Vector-Borne and Infectious Disease Research Center, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Claudia Herrera
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and Vector-Borne and Infectious Disease Research Center, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bhattacharyya T, Murphy N, Miles MA. Diversity of Chagas disease diagnostic antigens: Successes and limitations. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0012512. [PMID: 39352878 PMCID: PMC11444392 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, remains a public health issue in endemic regions of the Americas, and is becoming globalised due to migration. In the chronic phase, 2 accordant serological tests are required for diagnosis. In addition to "in-house" assays, commercial tests are available (principally ELISA and rapid diagnostic tests). Herein, we discuss the discovery era of defined T. cruzi serological antigens and their utilisation in commercialised tests. A striking feature is the re-discovery of the same antigens from independent studies, and their overlapping use among commonly reported commercial serological tests. We also consider reports of geographical variation in assay sensitivity and areas for refinement including applications to congenital diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and lineage-specific antigens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tapan Bhattacharyya
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, United Kingdom
| | - Niamh Murphy
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael A. Miles
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Duque C, So J, Castro-Sesquen YE, DeToy K, Gutierrez Guarnizo SA, Jahanbakhsh F, Machaca EM, Miranda-Schaeubinger M, Chakravarti I, Cooper V, Schmidt ME, Adamo L, Marcus R, Talaat KR, Gilman RH, Mugnier MR. Immunologic changes are detectable in the peripheral blood transcriptome of clinically asymptomatic Chagas cardiomyopathy patients. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.03.560680. [PMID: 37873108 PMCID: PMC10592925 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.03.560680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a neglected parasitic disease that affects approximately 6 million individuals worldwide. Of those infected, 20-30% will go on to develop chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC), and ultimately many of these individuals will progress to advanced heart failure. The mechanism by which this progression occurs is poorly understood, as few studies have focused on early CCC. In this study, we sought to understand the physiologic changes associated with T. cruzi infection and the development of CCC. We analyzed gene expression in the peripheral blood of asymptomatic Chagas patients with early structural heart disease, Chagas patients without any signs or symptoms of disease, and Chagas-negative patients with and without early structural heart disease. Our analysis shows that early CCC was associated with a downregulation of various peripheral immune response genes, with gene expression changes suggestive of reduced antigen presentation and T cell activation. Notably, these genes and processes were distinct from those of early cardiomyopathy in Chagas-negative patients, suggesting that the processes mediating CCC may be unique from those mediating progression to other cardiomyopathies. This work highlights the importance of the immune response in early CCC, providing insight into the early pathogenesis of this disease. The changes we have identified may serve as biomarkers of progression and could inform strategies for the treatment of CCC in its early stages, before significant cardiac damage has occurred.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Duque
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jaime So
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Yagahira E Castro-Sesquen
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kelly DeToy
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Fatemeh Jahanbakhsh
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Edith Malaga Machaca
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Monica Miranda-Schaeubinger
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Indira Chakravarti
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Virginia Cooper
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Mary E Schmidt
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Luigi Adamo
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Rachel Marcus
- MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C., USA
| | - Kawsar R Talaat
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Robert H Gilman
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Monica R Mugnier
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Gabaldón-Figueira JC, Skjefte M, Longhi S, Escabia E, García LJ, Ros-Lucas A, Martínez-Peinado N, Muñoz-Calderón A, Gascón J, Schijman AG, Alonso-Padilla J. Practical diagnostic algorithms for Chagas disease: a focus on low resource settings. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2023; 21:1287-1299. [PMID: 37933443 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2023.2279110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Chagas disease, caused by parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is the most important neglected tropical disease in the Americas. Two drugs are available for treatment, but access to them is challenging, in part due to complex diagnostic algorithms. These are stage-dependent, involve multiple tests, and are ill-adapted to the reality of vast areas where the disease is endemic. Molecular and serologic tools are used to detect acute and chronic infections, with the performance of the latter showing geographic differences. Breakthroughs in the development of new diagnostic tools include the validation of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for acute infections (T. cruzi-LAMP), and the regional validation of several rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for chronic infection, which simplify testing in resource-limited settings. The literature search was carried out in the MEDLINE database until 1 August 2023. AREAS COVERED This review outlines existing algorithms, and proposes new ones focused on point-of-care testing. EXPERT OPINION Integrating point-of-care testing into existing diagnostic algorithms in certain endemic areas will increase access to timely diagnosis and treatment. However, additional research is needed to validate the use of these techniques across a wider geography, and to better understand the cost-effectiveness of their large-scale implementation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Malia Skjefte
- Population Services International (PSI), Washington, MA, USA
| | - Silvia Longhi
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr Héctor Torres", INGEBI-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Elisa Escabia
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clinic-University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lady Juliette García
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr Héctor Torres", INGEBI-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Albert Ros-Lucas
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clinic-University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERINFEC, ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Nieves Martínez-Peinado
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clinic-University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Arturo Muñoz-Calderón
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr Héctor Torres", INGEBI-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Joaquim Gascón
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clinic-University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERINFEC, ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Gabriel Schijman
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr Héctor Torres", INGEBI-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Julio Alonso-Padilla
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clinic-University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERINFEC, ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|