Neurocysticercosis serodiagnosis: mimotope-based synthetic peptide as potential biomarker.

Herein, we evaluate a mimotope-based synthetic peptidenamed NC41 to diagnose neurocysticercosis (NC), a neglected parasitic disease and a major cause of epilepsy worldwide. NC41 synthetic peptide was evaluated to diagnose NC, and total saline extract from Taenia solium metacestodes (SE) was used as control. Serum samples from patients with NC (n = 40), other parasitic diseases (n = 43), and healthy individuals (n = 40) were tested. Diagnostic parameters such as sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), likelihood ratio (LR), and area under curve (AUC) were calculated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The sequence from T. solium phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) was used for epitope prediction, resulting in one high-scoring patch centered at residue L247. NC41 synthetic peptide reached high diagnostic performance (Se 97.5% and Sp 97.5%, LR+ 39 and AUC 0.997). Data from diagnostic parameters and in silico analyses proved the usefulness of NC41 synthetic peptide as a diagnostic marker for human NC.

Metaperiodate deglycosylation of Strongyloides venezuelensis larvae: Immunochemical characterization and antigen production for human strongyloidiasis diagnosis.

Strongyloidiasis is an important helminthiasis affecting million people worldwide. The aim of this study was to use sodium metaperiodate (MP) treatment to immunochemically characterize Strongyloides venezuelensis filariform larvae and use MP-treated heterologous antigen to detect IgG and subclasses in serum. Samples from individuals with definitive diagnosis of strongyloidiasis (n = 50), other parasitic diseases (n = 60) and negative endemic (n = 50) were tested. TG-ROC and two-way ANOVA were applied. MP-treatment resulted on differential localization of carbohydrates at larval structure and no carbohydrate content in saline extract (SE). Electrophoretic profiles were similar before and after treatment. ELISA sensitivity and specificity were: 90%; 88.2% for SE and 92.0%; 94.6% for MP, respectively. When using MP treated antigen we observed reduction in IgG1 and IgG3 detection in strongyloidiasis group and decrease of cross reactions in control groups. Our data demonstrate the role of carbohydrate residues in cross reactions and on the recognition of anti-Strongyloides IgG and its subclasses.

Taenia saginata metacestode antigenic fractions obtained by ion-exchange chromatography: potential source of immunodominant markers applicable in the immunodiagnosis of human neurocysticercosis.

The aim of this study was to fractionate and partially characterize fractions obtained from the total saline extract (SE) of Taenia saginata metacestodes after ion-exchange procedure in carboxymethyl sepharose (CM) and diethylaminoethyl sepharose (DEAE) resins, as a source of antigenic markers applicable in the immunodiagnosis of neurocysticercosis (NCC). For IgG detection by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting, 140 serum samples were analyzed: 45 from patients with NCC (G1), 50 from patients with other parasitic infections (G2), and 45 from healthy individuals. Sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), area under curve (AUC), and likelihood ratios (LR) were calculated. CM S2 and DEAE S2 fractions provided high diagnostic values (Se 88.8% and 93.4%; Sp 93.7% and 92.6%; AUC 0.965 and 0.987; LR+ 14.07 and 12.67; LR- 0.11 and 0.07, respectively). In conclusion, CM S2 and DEAE S2 fractions are important sources of specific peptides, with high efficiency to diagnose NCC.