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Vengesai A, Manuwa M, Midzi H, Mandeya M, Muleya V, Mujeni K, Chipako I, Mduluza T. Identification of Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma mansoni linear B-cell epitopes with diagnostic potential using in silico immunoinformatic tools and peptide microarray technology. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0011887. [PMID: 39173089 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Immunoinformatic tools can be used to predict schistosome-specific B-cell epitopes with little sequence identity to human proteins and antigens other than the target. This study reports an approach for identifying schistosome peptides mimicking linear B-cell epitopes using in-silico tools and peptide microarray immunoassay validation. METHOD Firstly, a comprehensive literature search was conducted to obtain published schistosome-specific peptides and recombinant proteins with the best overall diagnostic performances. For novel peptides, linear B-cell epitopes were predicted from target recombinant proteins using ABCpred, Bcepred and BepiPred 2.0 in-silico tools. Together with the published peptides, predicted peptides with the highest probability of being B-cell epitopes and the lowest sequence identity with proteins from human and other pathogens were selected. Antibodies against the peptides were measured in sera, using peptide microarray immunoassays. Area under the ROC curve was calculated to assess the overall diagnostic performances of the peptides. RESULTS Peptide AA81008-19-30 had excellent and acceptable diagnostic performances for discriminating S. mansoni and S. haematobium positives from healthy controls, with AUC values of 0.8043 and 0.7326 respectively for IgG. Peptides MS3_10186-123-131, MS3_10385-339-354, SmSPI-177-193, SmSPI-379-388, MS3-10186-40-49 and SmS-197-214 had acceptable diagnostic performances for discriminating S. mansoni positives from healthy controls with AUC values ranging from 0.7098 to 0.7763 for IgG. Peptides SmSPI-359-372, Smp126160-438-452 and MS3 10186-25-41 had acceptable diagnostic performances for discriminating S. mansoni positives from S. mansoni negatives with AUC values of 0.7124, 0.7156 and 0.7115 respectively for IgG. Peptide MS3-10186-40-49 had an acceptable diagnostic performance for discriminating S. mansoni positives from healthy controls, with an AUC value of 0.7413 for IgM. CONCLUSION One peptide with a good diagnostic performance and nine peptides with acceptable diagnostic performances were identified using the immunoinformatic approach and peptide microarray validation. There is need for evaluation of the peptides with true negatives and a good standard positive reference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Vengesai
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Midlands State University, Senga Road, Gweru, Zimbabwe
| | - Marble Manuwa
- Department of Biotechnology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zimbabwe, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Herald Midzi
- Department of Applied Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Midlands State University, Senga Road, Gweru, Zimbabwe
| | - Masimba Mandeya
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Midlands State University, Senga Road, Gweru, Zimbabwe
| | - Victor Muleya
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Midlands State University, Senga Road, Gweru, Zimbabwe
| | - Keith Mujeni
- Partnership in Education Training and Research Advancement, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Isaac Chipako
- Health Economics and Policy Department, Division of Health Research Graduate College, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Takafira Mduluza
- Department of Biotechnology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zimbabwe, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe
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MacGregor SR, McManus DP, Sivakumaran H, Egwang TG, Adriko M, Cai P, Gordon CA, Duke MG, French JD, Collinson N, Olveda RM, Hartel G, Graeff-Teixeira C, Jones MK, You H. Development of CRISPR/Cas13a-based assays for the diagnosis of Schistosomiasis. EBioMedicine 2023; 94:104730. [PMID: 37487416 PMCID: PMC10382885 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schistosomiasis is a disease that significantly impacts human health in the developing world. Effective diagnostics are urgently needed for improved control of this disease. CRISPR-based technology has rapidly accelerated the development of a revolutionary and powerful diagnostics platform, resulting in the advancement of a class of ultrasensitive, specific, cost-effective and portable diagnostics, typified by applications in COVID-19/cancer diagnosis. METHODS We developed CRISPR-based diagnostic platform SHERLOCK (Specific High-sensitivity Enzymatic Reporter unLOCKing) for the detection of Schistosoma japonicum and S. mansoni by combining recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) with CRISPR-Cas13a detection, measured via fluorescent or colorimetric readouts. We evaluated SHERLOCK assays by using 150 faecal/serum samples collected from Schistosoma-infected ARC Swiss mice (female), and 189 human faecal/serum samples obtained from a S. japonicum-endemic area in the Philippines and a S. mansoni-endemic area in Uganda. FINDINGS The S. japonicum SHERLOCK assay achieved 93-100% concordance with gold-standard qPCR detection across all the samples. The S. mansoni SHERLOCK assay demonstrated higher sensitivity than qPCR and was able to detect infection in mouse serum as early as 3 weeks post-infection. In human samples, S. mansoni SHERLOCK had 100% sensitivity when compared to qPCR of faecal and serum samples. INTERPRETATION These schistosomiasis diagnostic assays demonstrate the potential of SHERLOCK/CRISPR-based diagnostics to provide highly accurate and field-friendly point-of-care tests that could provide the next generation of diagnostic and surveillance tools for parasitic neglected tropical diseases. FUNDING Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre seed grant (2022) and National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia (APP1194462, APP2008433).
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Affiliation(s)
- Skye R MacGregor
- Infection and Inflammation Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Donald P McManus
- Infection and Inflammation Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Haran Sivakumaran
- Genetics & Computational Biology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Thomas G Egwang
- Department of Immunology and Parasitology, Med Biotech Laboratories, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Moses Adriko
- Vector Borne and NTD Control Division, Ministry of Health, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Pengfei Cai
- Infection and Inflammation Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Catherine A Gordon
- Infection and Inflammation Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Mary G Duke
- Infection and Inflammation Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Juliet D French
- Genetics & Computational Biology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Natasha Collinson
- Infection and Inflammation Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Remigio M Olveda
- Department of Health, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Manila, Philippines
| | - Gunter Hartel
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Statistics, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; School of Nursing, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Carlos Graeff-Teixeira
- Department of Pathology, Infectious Diseases Unit, Health Sciences Center, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil
| | - Malcolm K Jones
- Infection and Inflammation Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
| | - Hong You
- Infection and Inflammation Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia.
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Mu Y, McManus DP, Gordon CA, You H, Ross AG, Olveda RM, Cai P. Development and assessment of a novel gold immunochromatographic assay for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis japonica. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1165480. [PMID: 37077910 PMCID: PMC10106775 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1165480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundThe neglected zoonosis, schistosomiasis japonica, remains a major public health problem in the Philippines. The current study aims to develop a novel gold immunochromatographic assay (GICA) and evaluate its performance in the detection of Schistosoma japonicum infection.MethodsA GICA strip incorporating a S. japonicum saposin protein, SjSAP4 was developed. For each GICA strip test, diluted serum sample (50 µl) was loaded and strips were scanned after 10 min to convert the results into images. ImageJ was used to calculate an R value, which was defined as the signal intensity of the test line divided by the signal intensity of the control line within the cassette. After determination of optimal serum dilution and diluent, the GICA assay was evaluated with sera collected from non-endemic controls (n = 20) and individuals living in schistosomiasis-endemic areas of the Philippines (n = 60), including 40 Kato Katz (KK)-positive participants and 20 subjects confirmed as KK-negative and faecal droplet digital PCR assay (F_ddPCR)-negative at a dilution of 1:20. An ELISA assay evaluating IgG levels against SjSAP4 was also performed on the same panel of sera.ResultsPhosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and 0.9% NaCl were determined as optimal dilution buffer for the GICA assay. The strips tested with serial dilutions of a pooled serum sample from KK-positive individuals (n = 3) suggested that a relatively wide range of dilutions (from 1:10 to 1:320) can be applied for the test. Using the non-endemic donors as controls, the GICA strip showed a sensitivity of 95.0% and absolute specificity; while using the KK-negative and F_ddPCR-negative subjects as controls, the immunochromatographic assay had a sensitivity of 85.0% and a specificity of 80.0%. The SjSAP4-incorperated GICA displayed a high concordance with the SjSAP4-ELISA assay.ConclusionsThe developed GICA assay exhibited a similar diagnostic performance with that of the SjSAP4-ELISA assay, yet the former can be performed by local personnel with minimal training with no requirement for specialised equipment. The GICA assay established here represents a rapid, easy-to-use, accurate and field-friendly diagnostic tool for the on-site surveillance/screening of S. japonicum infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Mu
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Donald P. McManus
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Catherine A. Gordon
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Hong You
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Allen G. Ross
- Rural Health and Medical Research Institute, Charles Sturt University, Orange, NSW, Australia
| | - Remigio M. Olveda
- Department of Immunology, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Manila, Philippines
| | - Pengfei Cai
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- *Correspondence: Pengfei Cai,
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Vengesai A, Muleya V, Midzi H, Tinago TV, Chipako I, Manuwa M, Naicker T, Mduluza T. Diagnostic performances of Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma mansoni recombinant proteins, peptides and chimeric proteins antibody based tests. Systematic scoping review. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282233. [PMID: 36862712 PMCID: PMC9980832 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traditional diagnostic tests for schistosome infections are suboptimal, particularly when the parasite burden is low. In the present review we sought to identify recombinant proteins, peptides, and chimeric proteins with potential to be used as sensitive and specific diagnostic tools for schistosomiasis. METHODS The review was guided by PRISMA-ScR guidelines, Arksey and O'Malley's framework, and guidelines from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Five databases were searched: Cochrane library, PubMed, EMBASE, PsycInfo and CINAHL, alongside preprints. Identified literature were assessed by two reviewers for inclusion. A narrative summary was used to interpret the tabulated results. RESULTS Diagnostic performances were reported as specificities, sensitivities, and AUC. The AUC for S. haematobium recombinant antigens ranged from 0.65 to 0.98, and 0.69 to 0.96 for urine IgG ELISA. S. mansoni recombinant antigens had sensitivities ranging from 65.3% to 100% and specificities ranging from 57.4% to 100%. Except for 4 peptides which had poor diagnostic performances, most peptides had sensitivities ranging from 67.71% to 96.15% and specificities ranging from 69.23% to 100%. S. mansoni chimeric protein was reported to have a sensitivity of 86.8% and a specificity of 94.2%. CONCLUSION The tetraspanin CD63 antigen had the best diagnostic performance for S. haematobium. The tetraspanin CD63 antigen Serum IgG POC-ICTs had a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 100%. Peptide Smp_150390.1 (216-230) serum based IgG ELISA had the best diagnostic performance for S. mansoni with a sensitivity of 96.15% and a specificity of 100%. Peptides were reported to demonstrate good to excellent diagnostic performances. S. mansoni multi-peptide chimeric protein further improved the diagnostic accuracy of synthetic peptides. Together with the advantages associated with urine sampling technique, we recommend development of multi-peptide chimeric proteins urine based point of care tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Vengesai
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe
- * E-mail:
| | - Victor Muleya
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe
| | - Herald Midzi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zimbabwe, Mt Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | | | - Isaac Chipako
- Aravas Pharmaceuticals Pvt LTD, Prospect Industrial Area, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Marble Manuwa
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zimbabwe, Mt Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Thajasvarie Naicker
- Discipline of Optics and Imaging, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Takafira Mduluza
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zimbabwe, Mt Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe
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Shen C, Zhu X, Xu X, Chang H, Ni Y, Li C, He K, Chen L, Chen L, Hou M, Ji M, Xu Z. Identification and Characterization of Antigenic Properties of Schistosoma japonicum Heat Shock Protein 90α Derived Peptides. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11111238. [PMID: 36364989 PMCID: PMC9696693 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11111238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
It is known that schistosome-derived antigens induce innate and adaptive immune responses that are essential for the formation of hepatic immunopathology. Here, we screened and synthesized four peptides derived from Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum) heat shock protein 90α (Sjp90α-1, -2, -3, and -4), which is widely expressed in adults and eggs of the genus S. japonicum and induces remarkable immune reactions. To define the antigenicity of these peptides, we stimulated splenocytes with peptides, and the results showed that only the Sjp90α-1 peptide could predominately induce the activation of dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages as well as alter the proportion of follicular helper T (Tfh) cells. Next, CD4+ T cells were purified and cocultured with mouse bone-marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) with or without Sjp90α-1 peptide stimulation in vitro, and the results showed that Sjp90α-1-stimulated BMDCs can significantly induce CD4+ T-cell differentiation into Tfh cells, while the direct stimulation of CD4+ T cells with Sjp90α-1 did not induce Tfh cells, indicating that the Sjp90α-1 peptide promotes Tfh cell differentiation depending on the presence of DCs. Furthermore, we selected and prepared an Sjp90α-1-peptide-based antibody and illustrated that it has excellent reactivity with the immunizing peptide and detects a single band of 29 kDa corresponding to the Sjp90α protein. The immunolocalization results showed that the protein recognized by this Sjp90α-1-peptide-based antibody is present in the mature eggs and the tegument of adults, implying that the parasite-derived peptide has a potential interaction with the host immune system. Finally, we evaluated antipeptide IgG antibodies and revealed a significantly higher level of anti-Sjp90α-1 peptide IgG antibodies in mice 3 weeks after S. japonicum infection. In conclusion, we illustrate that these synthetic peptides warrant further investigation by evaluating their antigen-specific immune response and their ability to efficiently induce Tfh cells. Moreover, they may constitute a potentially helpful method for the laboratory diagnosis of schistosomiasis japonica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunxiang Shen
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Xinyi Zhu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Xuejun Xu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Hao Chang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Yangyue Ni
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Chen Li
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Kaiyue He
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Lu Chen
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Min Hou
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Minjun Ji
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing 211166, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Antibody Technique, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- Correspondence: (Z.X.); (M.J.)
| | - Zhipeng Xu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing 211166, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Antibody Technique, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- Correspondence: (Z.X.); (M.J.)
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Zhou J, Chen J, Peng Y, Xie Y, Xiao Y. A Promising Tool in Serological Diagnosis: Current Research Progress of Antigenic Epitopes in Infectious Diseases. Pathogens 2022; 11:1095. [PMID: 36297152 PMCID: PMC9609281 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11101095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Infectious diseases, caused by various pathogens in the clinic, threaten the safety of human life, are harmful to physical and mental health, and also increase economic burdens on society. Infections are a complex mechanism of interaction between pathogenic microorganisms and their host. Identification of the causative agent of the infection is vital for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Etiological laboratory diagnostic tests are therefore essential to identify pathogens. However, due to its rapidity and automation, the serological diagnostic test is among the methods of great significance for the diagnosis of infections with the basis of detecting antigens or antibodies in body fluids clinically. Epitopes, as a special chemical group that determines the specificity of antigens and the basic unit of inducing immune responses, play an important role in the study of immune responses. Identifying the epitopes of a pathogen may contribute to the development of a vaccine to prevent disease, the diagnosis of the corresponding disease, and the determination of different stages of the disease. Moreover, both the preparation of neutralizing antibodies based on useful epitopes and the assembly of several associated epitopes can be used in the treatment of disease. Epitopes can be divided into B cell epitopes and T cell epitopes; B cell epitopes stimulate the body to produce antibodies and are therefore commonly used as targets for the design of serological diagnostic experiments. Meanwhile, epitopes can fall into two possible categories: linear and conformational. This article reviews the role of B cell epitopes in the clinical diagnosis of infectious diseases.
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