1
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Assis BPN, Chaves AT, Lage DP, Cardoso MM, Freitas CS, Pereira IAG, Câmara RSB, Martins VT, de Oliveira ALG, Machado-de-Ávila RA, Galdino AS, Chávez-Fumagalli MA, Christodoulides M, Gonçalves DU, Bueno LL, Fujiwara RT, Coelho EAF, da Costa Rocha MO. Serodiagnosis of paucibacillary and multibacillary leprosy using a recombinant chimeric protein composed of specific B-cell epitopes derived from Mycobacterium leprae proteins. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2024; 147:102505. [PMID: 38583359 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2024.102505] [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: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Leprosy diagnosis is difficult due to the clinical similarity with other infectious diseases, and laboratory tests presents problems related to sensitivity and/or specificity. In this study, we used bioinformatics to assess Mycobacterium leprae proteins and formulated a chimeric protein that was tested as a diagnostic marker for the disease. The amino acid sequences from ML0008, ML0126, ML0308, ML1057, ML2028, ML2038, ML2498 proteins were evaluated, and the B-cell epitopes QASVAYPATSYADFRAHNHWWNGP, SLQRSISPNSYNTARVDP and QLLGQTADVAGAAKSGPVQPMGDRGSVSPVGQ were considered M. leprae-specific and used to construct the gene encoding the recombinant antigen. The gene was constructed, the recombinant protein was expressed, purified and tested in ELISA using 252 sera, which contained samples from multibacillary (MB) or paucibacillary (PB) leprosy patients, from their household contacts and healthy individuals, as well as from patients with Chagas disease, visceral and tegumentary leishmaniases (VL/TL), malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV. Sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) for MB and PB samples compared to sera from both healthy subjects and individuals with cross-reactive diseases were 100%. The Se value for MB and PB samples compared to sera from household contacts was 100%, but Sp was 64%. In conclusion, data suggest that this protein could be considered in future studies for leprosy diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara P N Assis
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 30130-100, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Fundação Hospitalar do Estado de Minas Gerais, Hospital Eduardo de Menezes, Belo Horizonte, 30622-020, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ana T Chaves
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 30130-100, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Daniela P Lage
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 30130-100, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Mariana M Cardoso
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 30130-100, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Camila S Freitas
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 30130-100, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Isabela A G Pereira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 30130-100, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Raquel S B Câmara
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 30130-100, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Vívian T Martins
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 30130-100, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ana Laura G de Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 30130-100, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ricardo A Machado-de-Ávila
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciúma, 88806-000, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Alexsandro S Galdino
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia de Microrganismos, Universidade Federal de São João Del-Rei, Divinópolis, 35.501-296, Minas Gerais e Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Biotecnologia Industrial (INCT-BI), Brasil
| | - Miguel A Chávez-Fumagalli
- Computational Biology and Chemistry Research Group, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Urb. San José S/N, Umacollo, Arequipa, 04000, Peru
| | - Myron Christodoulides
- Neisseria Research Group, Molecular Microbiology, School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, England, UK
| | - Denise U Gonçalves
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 30130-100, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Lílian L Bueno
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 30130-100, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ricardo T Fujiwara
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 30130-100, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Eduardo A F Coelho
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 30130-100, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Departamento de Patologia Clínica, COLTEC, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Manoel O da Costa Rocha
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 30130-100, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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2
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Wilkin S, Lanigan LT, Montes N, Sharma M, Avanzi C, Sejdiu D, Majander K, Pfrengle S, Chiang Y, Kunz L, Dittmann A, Rühli F, Singh P, Coll MF, Collins MJ, Taurozzi AJ, Schuenemann VJ. Sequential trypsin and ProAlanase digestions unearth immunological protein biomarkers shrouded by skeletal collagen. iScience 2024; 27:109663. [PMID: 38655200 PMCID: PMC11035369 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109663] [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: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
This study investigates the efficacy of proteomic analysis of human remains to identify active infections in the past through the detection of pathogens and the host response to infection. We advance leprosy as a case study due to the sequestering of sufferers in leprosaria and the suggestive skeletal lesions that can result from the disease. Here we present a sequential enzyme extraction protocol, using trypsin followed by ProAlanase, to reduce the abundance of collagen peptides and in so doing increase the detection of non-collagenous proteins. Through our study of five individuals from an 11th to 18th century leprosarium, as well as four from a contemporaneous non-leprosy associated cemetery in Barcelona, we show that samples from 2 out of 5 leprosarium individuals extracted with the sequential digestion methodology contain numerous host immune proteins associated with modern leprosy. In contrast, individuals from the non-leprosy associated cemetery and all samples extracted with a trypsin-only protocol did not. Through this study, we advance a palaeoproteomic methodology to gain insights into the health of archaeological individuals and take a step toward a proteomics-based method to study immune responses in past populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shevan Wilkin
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Liam T. Lanigan
- Globe Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nuria Montes
- Unitat d'Antropologia Biològica, Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mukul Sharma
- Microbial Pathogenesis and Genomics, National Institute of Research in Tribal Health, Jabalpur, MP, India
| | - Charlotte Avanzi
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Donikë Sejdiu
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kerttu Majander
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Saskia Pfrengle
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute for Archaeological Sciences, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Yun Chiang
- Globe Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Laura Kunz
- Functional Genomics Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Antje Dittmann
- Functional Genomics Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Frank Rühli
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Pushpendra Singh
- Microbial Pathogenesis and Genomics, National Institute of Research in Tribal Health, Jabalpur, MP, India
- Model Rural Health Research Unit, Badoni, Datia (MP), India
| | | | - Matthew J. Collins
- Globe Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, West Tower, Downing St, Cambridge CB2 3ER, UK
| | - Alberto J. Taurozzi
- Globe Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Sugawara-Mikami M, Tanigawa K, Kawashima A, Kiriya M, Nakamura Y, Fujiwara Y, Suzuki K. Pathogenicity and virulence of Mycobacterium leprae. Virulence 2022; 13:1985-2011. [PMID: 36326715 PMCID: PMC9635560 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2022.2141987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Leprosy is caused by Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) and M. lepromatosis, an obligate intracellular organism, and over 200,000 new cases occur every year. M. leprae parasitizes histiocytes (skin macrophages) and Schwann cells in the peripheral nerves. Although leprosy can be treated by multidrug therapy, some patients relapse or have a prolonged clinical course and/or experience leprosy reaction. These varying outcomes depend on host factors such as immune responses against bacterial components that determine a range of symptoms. To understand these host responses, knowledge of the mechanisms by which M. leprae parasitizes host cells is important. This article describes the characteristics of leprosy through bacteriology, genetics, epidemiology, immunology, animal models, routes of infection, and clinical findings. It also discusses recent diagnostic methods, treatment, and measures according to the World Health Organization (WHO), including prevention. Recently, the antibacterial activities of anti-hyperlipidaemia agents against other pathogens, such as M. tuberculosis and Staphylococcus aureus have been investigated. Our laboratory has been focused on the metabolism of lipids which constitute the cell wall of M. leprae. Our findings may be useful for the development of future treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariko Sugawara-Mikami
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Medical Technology, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan.,West Yokohama Sugawara Dermatology Clinic, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kazunari Tanigawa
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharma-Science, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akira Kawashima
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Medical Technology, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mitsuo Kiriya
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Medical Technology, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Nakamura
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharma-Science, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoko Fujiwara
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Medical Technology, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koichi Suzuki
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Medical Technology, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
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4
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In silico designing of a recombinant multi-epitope antigen for leprosy diagnosis. J Genet Eng Biotechnol 2022; 20:128. [PMID: 36053342 PMCID: PMC9440174 DOI: 10.1186/s43141-022-00411-7] [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: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Background Leprosy
is caused by Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Most of the affected population lives in low-income countries and may take up to 10 years to show any clinical signs, which is how physicians diagnose it. However, due to progressive cell damage, early diagnosis is very important. The best way to confirm leprosy is through bacilloscopic, which only confirms the diagnosis and has low accuracy or PCR, that requires specialized operators and is expensive. Since the bacteria are fastidious and do not grow in any culture media, therefore, diagnosing leprosy in the lab is still a challenge. In this concern, a recombinant multi-epitope protein can be a beneficial strategy in the management of the diagnosis, as diverse immunogenic epitopes are precisely selected to detect specific antibodies. Therefore, the purposes of the present study were to select immunogenic epitopes from different relevant proteins, with immunogenic properties, and then to construct a recombinant multi-epitope protein that accuses the presence of the antibodies in the early stages of the disease, making it more than appropriate to be applied as a diagnostic tool. Results We selected 22 common proteins from both species and, using bioinformatics tools, predicted B and T cell epitopes. After multiple filtering and analyzing, we ended up with 29 epitopes {MHC-I (total 18) and MHC-II (total 11)} from 10 proteins, which were then merged into one construct. Its secondary and tertiary structures were also predicted and refined to comprise the amino acid residues in the best conformation possible. The multi-epitope protein construct was stable, non-host homologous, non-allergic, non-toxic, and elicit humoral and cellular responses. It has conformational B cell epitopes and potential to elicit IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-10 secretion. Conclusions This novel recombinant multi-epitope protein constructed using the common epitopes from M. leprae and M. lepromatosis has a huge immunological potential, is stable, and can be lyophilized to be used in ELISA plates or even in biosensors, which are user-friendly diagnosis tools, facilitating translation into human sample tests. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s43141-022-00411-7.
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Marçal PHF, de Souza MLM, Gama RS, de Oliveira LBP, de Souza Gomes M, do Amaral LR, Pinheiro RO, Sarno EN, Moraes MO, Fairley JK, Martins-Filho OA, de Oliveira Fraga LA. Algorithm design for a cytokine release assay of antigen-specific in vitro stimuli of circulating leukocytes to classify leprosy patients and household contacts. Open Forum Infect Dis 2022; 9:ofac036. [PMID: 35169594 PMCID: PMC8842339 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofac036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Immunological biomarkers have often been used as a complementary approach to support clinical diagnosis in several infectious diseases. The lack of commercially available laboratory tests for conclusive early diagnosis of leprosy has motivated the search for novel methods for accurate diagnosis. In the present study, we describe an integrated analysis of a cytokine release assay using a machine learning approach to create a decision tree algorithm. This algorithm was used to classify leprosy clinical forms and monitor household contacts. Methods A model of Mycobacterium leprae antigen-specific in vitro assay with subsequent cytokine measurements by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interferon-γ, interleukin 4, and interleukin 10 (IL-10) in culture supernatants of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with leprosy, healthy controls, and household contacts. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was carried out to define each cytokine’s global accuracy and performance indices to identify clinical subgroups. Results Data demonstrated that TNF (control culture [CC]: AUC = 0.72; antigen-stimulated culture [Ml]: AUC = 0.80) and IL-10 (CC: AUC = 0.77; Ml: AUC = 0.71) were the most accurate biomarkers to classify subgroups of household contacts and patients with leprosy, respectively. Decision tree classifier algorithms for TNF analysis categorized subgroups of household contacts according to the operational classification with moderate accuracy (CC: 79% [48/61]; Ml: 84% [51/61]). Additionally, IL-10 analysis categorized leprosy patients’ subgroups with moderate accuracy (CC: 73% [22/30] and Ml: 70% [21/30]). Conclusions Together, our findings demonstrated that a cytokine release assay is a promising method to complement clinical diagnosis, ultimately contributing to effective control of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Márcio Luís Moreira de Souza
- Programa Multicêntrio de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular-Núcleo de Pesquisa em Hansenologia – Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Instituto de Ciências da Vida, Campus Governador Valadares, MG, Brazil
| | - Rafael Silva Gama
- Universidade Vale do Rio Doce – Univale, Governador Valadares, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Matheus de Souza Gomes
- Laboratório de Bioinformática e Análises Moleculares, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, INGEB/FACOM, Campus Patos de Minas, Patos de Minas, MG, Brazil
| | - Laurence Rodrigues do Amaral
- Laboratório de Bioinformática e Análises Moleculares, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, INGEB/FACOM, Campus Patos de Minas, Patos de Minas, MG, Brazil
| | - Roberta Olmo Pinheiro
- Laboratório de Hanseníase, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ-RJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Euzenir Nunes Sarno
- Laboratório de Hanseníase, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ-RJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Milton Ozório Moraes
- Laboratório de Hanseníase, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ-RJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Jessica K Fairley
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University, School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | | | - Lucia Alves de Oliveira Fraga
- Programa Multicêntrio de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular-Núcleo de Pesquisa em Hansenologia – Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Instituto de Ciências da Vida, Campus Governador Valadares, MG, Brazil
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6
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Silva KKDPE, de Oliveira EE, Elias CMM, Pereira IE, Pinheiro RO, Sarno EN, Duthie MS, Teixeira HC. Serum IgA Antibodies Specific to M. leprae Antigens as Biomarkers for Leprosy Detection and Household Contact Tracking. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:698495. [PMID: 34447763 PMCID: PMC8382955 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.698495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Leprosy remains endemic in several developing countries, such as India and Brazil, in part due to delayed diagnosis that facilitates ongoing transmission. Although immunoglobulins against several Mycobacterium leprae antigens have been indicated for the early diagnosis, and IgA participates in the early stages of leprosy and in subclinical infection, relatively little research has examined anti-M. leprae IgA responses. Here, we investigated serum IgA reactivity against NDO-HSA, LID-1 and NDO-LID, in paucibacillary (PB) and multibacillary (MB) patients and their household contacts, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Diagnostic accuracy of each ELISA was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Our data reveal elevated IgA serum levels against the three M. leprae specific antigens in MB patients, whereas IgA reactivity in PB patients was increased only to NDO-HSA. Further, MB and PB household contacts displayed higher IgA reactivity to NDO-HSA than non-endemic controls. Our data suggest measurement of serum IgA against NDO-HSA as an additional tool in the diagnosis and classification of the disease, with potential utility for household contact follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyssia Karen de Paiva E Silva
- Department of Parasitology, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | - Erick Esteves de Oliveira
- Department of Parasitology, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | - Carolina Martins Moreira Elias
- Department of Parasitology, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | - Ingrid Estevam Pereira
- Department of Parasitology, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | - Roberta Olmo Pinheiro
- Leprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Euzenir Nunes Sarno
- Leprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Henrique Couto Teixeira
- Department of Parasitology, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
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7
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Jaiswal AK, Tiwari S, Jamal SB, Oliveira LDC, Sales-Campos H, Andrade-Silva LE, Oliveira CJF, Ghosh P, Barh D, Azevedo V, Soares SC, Rodrigues VR, da Silva MV. Reverse vaccinology and subtractive genomics approaches for identifying common therapeutics against Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2021; 27:e20200027. [PMID: 33889182 PMCID: PMC8040911 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2020-0027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis are gram-positive bacterial pathogens and the causative agents of leprosy in humans across the world. The elimination of leprosy cannot be achieved by multidrug therapy alone, and highlights the need for new tools and drugs to prevent the emergence of new resistant strains. METHODS In this study, our contribution includes the prediction of vaccine targets and new putative drugs against leprosy, using reverse vaccinology and subtractive genomics. Six strains of Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis (4 and 2 strains, respectively) were used for comparison taking Mycobacterium leprae strain TN as the reference genome. Briefly, we used a combined reverse vaccinology and subtractive genomics approach. RESULTS As a result, we identified 12 common putative antigenic proteins as vaccine targets and three common drug targets against Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Furthermore, the docking analysis using 28 natural compounds with three drug targets was done. CONCLUSIONS The bis-naphthoquinone compound Diospyrin (CID 308140) obtained from indigenous plant Diospyros spp. showed the most favored binding affinity against predicted drug targets, which can be a candidate therapeutic target in the future against leprosy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arun Kumar Jaiswal
- Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Sandeep Tiwari
- Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Syed Babar Jamal
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Letícia de Castro Oliveira
- Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Helioswilton Sales-Campos
- Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil
- Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goias (UFG), Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Eurípedes Andrade-Silva
- Infectious Disease Department, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Carlo Jose Freire Oliveira
- Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Preetam Ghosh
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Debmalya Barh
- Centre for Genomics and Applied Gene Technology, Institute of Integrative Omics and Applied Biotechnology (IIOAB), Nonakuri, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India
| | - Vasco Azevedo
- Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Siomar C. Soares
- Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Virmondes Rodrigues Rodrigues
- Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Marcos Vinicius da Silva
- Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil
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8
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Röltgen K, Pluschke G, Spencer JS, Brennan PJ, Avanzi C. The immunology of other mycobacteria: M. ulcerans, M. leprae. Semin Immunopathol 2020; 42:333-353. [PMID: 32100087 PMCID: PMC7224112 DOI: 10.1007/s00281-020-00790-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Mycobacterial pathogens can be categorized into three broad groups: Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex causing tuberculosis, M. leprae and M. lepromatosis causing leprosy, and atypical mycobacteria, or non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), responsible for a wide range of diseases. Among the NTMs, M. ulcerans is responsible for the neglected tropical skin disease Buruli ulcer (BU). Most pathogenic mycobacteria, including M. leprae, evade effector mechanisms of the humoral immune system by hiding and replicating inside host cells and are furthermore excellent modulators of host immune responses. In contrast, M. ulcerans replicates predominantly extracellularly, sheltered from host immune responses through the cytotoxic and immunosuppressive effects of mycolactone, a macrolide produced by the bacteria. In the year 2018, 208,613 new cases of leprosy and 2713 new cases of BU were reported to WHO, figures which are notoriously skewed by vast underreporting of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Röltgen
- Department of Pathology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Gerd Pluschke
- Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - John Stewart Spencer
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Patrick Joseph Brennan
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Charlotte Avanzi
- Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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9
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Barbosa MDS, de Sousa IBA, Simionatto S, Borsuk S, Marchioro SB. Recombinant polypeptide of Mycobacterium leprae as a potential tool for serological detection of leprosy. AMB Express 2019; 9:201. [PMID: 31848766 PMCID: PMC6917672 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-019-0928-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Current prevention methods for the transmission of Mycobacterium leprae, the causative agent of leprosy, are inadequate as suggested by the rate of new leprosy cases reported. Simple large-scale detection methods for M. leprae infection are crucial for early detection of leprosy and disease control. The present study investigates the production and seroreactivity of a recombinant polypeptide composed of various M. leprae protein epitopes. The structural and physicochemical parameters of this construction were assessed using in silico tools. Parameters like subcellular localization, presence of signal peptide, primary, secondary, and tertiary structures, and 3D model were ascertained using several bioinformatics tools. The resultant purified recombinant polypeptide, designated rMLP15, is composed of 15 peptides from six selected M. leprae proteins (ML1358, ML2055, ML0885, ML1811, ML1812, and ML1214) that induce T cell reactivity in leprosy patients from different hyperendemic regions. Using rMLP15 as the antigen, sera from 24 positive patients and 14 healthy controls were evaluated for reactivity via ELISA. ELISA-rMLP15 was able to diagnose 79.17% of leprosy patients with a specificity of 92.86%. rMLP15 was also able to detect the multibacillary and paucibacillary patients in the same proportions, a desirable addition in the leprosy diagnosis. These results summarily indicate the utility of the recombinant protein rMLP15 in the diagnosis of leprosy and the future development of a viable screening test.
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Marçal PHF, Fraga LADO, Mattos AMMD, Menegati L, Coelho ADCO, Pinheiro RO, Sarno EN, Duthie MS, Teixeira HC. Utility of immunoglobulin isotypes against LID-1 and NDO-LID for, particularly IgG1, confirming the diagnosis of multibacillary leprosy. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018. [PMID: 29513821 PMCID: PMC5851060 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760170467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leprosy remains a health problem in many countries, with difficulties in
diagnosis resulting in delayed treatment and more severe disabilities.
Antibodies against several Mycobacterium leprae antigens
have, however, shown value as diagnostic and/or prognostic markers. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to evaluate serum immunoglobulin (Ig) IgM
and IgG subclass reactivity against three M. leprae
specific antigens: NDO-HSA, a conjugate formed by natural octyl disaccharide
bound to human serum albumin; LID-1, the fusion protein product of the
ml0405 and ml2331 genes; and NDO-LID, a combination of LID-1 and NDO. METHODS Sera from healthy controls, paucibacillary (PB) and multibacillary (MB)
leprosy patients, and their respective household contacts, were evaluated
for the presence of antigen-specific IgM, IgG, and IgG subclass antibodies
by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The sensitivity and
specificity of each ELISA were evaluated by receiver operating
characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. FINDINGS Our data confirm that serum IgM antibodies against NDO-HSA and IgG
antibodies against LID-1, as well as IgG/M antibodies against NDO-LID, are
markedly increased in MB patients. For the first time, our data reveal a
selective increase in IgG1 and IgG3 antibodies against LID-1 and NDO-LID in
MB patients, demonstrating that these antibody isotypes are suitable for
differentiation between MB and PB patients. ROC curve analysis indicates an
improved capacity for diagnosing MB leprosy patients using the detection of
IgG antibodies, particularly the IgG1 isotype, specific to LID-1 and NDO-LID
over the performance levels attained with NDO-HSA. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that serological tests based on the detection of
antigen-specific IgG1 antibodies are a useful tool to differentiate MB from
PB patients, and indicate the enhanced performance of the LID-1 and NDO-LID
antigens in the serodiagnosis of leprosy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Henrique Ferreira Marçal
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brasil
| | | | - Ana Márcia Menezes de Mattos
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brasil
| | - Laura Menegati
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brasil
| | | | - Roberta Olmo Pinheiro
- Laboratório de Hanseníase, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Euzenir Nunes Sarno
- Laboratório de Hanseníase, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | | | - Henrique Couto Teixeira
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brasil
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Negera E, Walker SL, Bekele Y, Dockrell HM, Lockwood DN. Increased activated memory B-cells in the peripheral blood of patients with erythema nodosum leprosum reactions. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0006121. [PMID: 29253897 PMCID: PMC5749895 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Revised: 01/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
B-cells, in addition to antibody secretion, have emerged increasingly as effector and immunoregulatory cells in several chronic inflammatory diseases. Although Erythema Nodosum Leprosum (ENL) is an inflammatory complication of leprosy, the role of B- cell subsets has never been studied in this patient group. Therefore, it would be interesting to examine the contribution of B-cells in the pathogenesis of ENL. A case-control study design was used to recruit 30 untreated patients with ENL and 30 non-reactional lepromatous leprosy (LL) patient controls at ALERT Hospital, Ethiopia. Peripheral blood samples were obtained before, during and after treatment from each patient. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated and used for immunophenotyping of B- cell subsets by flow cytometry. The kinetics of B-cells in patients with ENL before, during and after Prednisolone treatment of ENL was compared with LL patient controls as well as within ENL group. Total B-cells, mature B-cells and resting memory B-cells were not significantly different between patients with ENL reactions and LL controls before treatment. Interestingly, while the percentage of naive B-cells was significantly lower in untreated ENL patients than in LL patient controls, the percentage of activated memory B-cells was significantly higher in these untreated ENL patients than in LL controls. On the other hand, the percentage of tissue-like memory B-cells was considerably low in untreated ENL patients compared to LL controls. It appears that the lower frequency of tissue-like memory B-cells in untreated ENL could promote the B-cell/T-cell interaction in these patients through downregulation of inhibitory molecules unlike in LL patients. Conversely, the increased production of activated memory B-cells in ENL patients could imply the scale up of immune activation through antigen presentation to T-cells. However, the generation and differential function of these memory B-cells need further investigation. The finding of increased percentage of activated memory B-cells in untreated patients with ENL reactions suggests the association of these cells with the ENL pathology. The mechanism by which inflammatory reactions like ENL affecting these memory cells and contributing to the disease pathology is an interesting area to be explored for and could lead to the development of novel and highly efficacious drug for ENL treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edessa Negera
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Faculty of Infectious Tropical Diseases, London, United Kingdom
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Stephen L. Walker
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Faculty of Infectious Tropical Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yonas Bekele
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Hazel M. Dockrell
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Faculty of Infectious Tropical Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Diana N. Lockwood
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Faculty of Infectious Tropical Diseases, London, United Kingdom
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12
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Frade MAC, de Paula NA, Gomes CM, Vernal S, Bernardes Filho F, Lugão HB, de Abreu MMM, Botini P, Duthie MS, Spencer JS, Soares RCFR, Foss NT. Unexpectedly high leprosy seroprevalence detected using a random surveillance strategy in midwestern Brazil: A comparison of ELISA and a rapid diagnostic test. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005375. [PMID: 28231244 PMCID: PMC5358972 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2016] [Revised: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leprosy diagnosis is mainly based on clinical evaluation, although this approach is difficult, especially for untrained physicians. We conducted a temporary campaign to detect previously unknown leprosy cases in midwestern Brazil and to compare the performance of different serological tests. METHODS A mobile clinic was stationed at the main bus terminal in Brasília, Brazil. Volunteers were quizzed and given a clinical exam to allow categorization as either patients, known contacts of patients or non-contacts, and blood was collected to determine anti-PGL-I and anti-LID-1 antibody titers by ELISA and by the NDO-LID rapid test. New cases of leprosy and the impact of performing this broad random surveillance strategy were evaluated. Accuracy values and concordance between the test results were evaluated among all groups. RESULTS Four hundred thirty-four individuals were evaluated, and 44 (10.1%) were diagnosed with leprosy. Borderline forms were the most frequent presentation. Both tests presented higher positivity in those individuals with multibacillary disease. Serological tests demonstrated specificities arround 70% for anti-PGL-1 and anti-LID ELISA; and arround 40% for NDO-LID. Sensitivities ranged from 48 to 62%. A substantial agreement between NDO-LID and ELISA with concomitant positive results was found within leprosy patients (Kappa index = 0.79 CI95% 0.36-1.22). CONCLUSIONS The unexpectedly high leprosy prevalence in this population indicates ongoing community-based exposure to Mycobacterium leprae antigens and high rates of subclinical infection. All tests showed low specificity and sensitivity values and therefore cannot be considered for use as stand-alone diagnostics. Rather, considering their positivity among MB patients and non-patients, these tests can be considered effective tools for screening and identifying individuals at high risk who might benefit from regular monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Andrey C. Frade
- Dermatology Division, Department of Medical Clinics, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
- * E-mail:
| | - Natália A. de Paula
- Dermatology Division, Department of Medical Clinics, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Ciro M. Gomes
- Dermatology Division, Department of Medical Clinics, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
- Dermatology Division, Department of Medical Clinics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Sebastian Vernal
- Dermatology Division, Department of Medical Clinics, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Fred Bernardes Filho
- Dermatology Division, Department of Medical Clinics, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Helena B. Lugão
- Dermatology Division, Department of Medical Clinics, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | | | - Patrícia Botini
- Service of Dermatology, University of Oeste Paulista, Presidente Prudente, Brazil
| | - Malcolm S. Duthie
- Infectious Diseases Research Institute, 1616 Eastlake Av. E, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - John S. Spencer
- Colorado State University, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Rosa Castália F. R. Soares
- General Coordination of Leprosy and Eliminating Diseases, Surveillance Secretariat in Health, Brazilian Health Ministry, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Norma T. Foss
- Dermatology Division, Department of Medical Clinics, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
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