The use of peptides for immunodiagnosis of human Chagas disease.

Chagas disease, caused by the protozoa Trypanosoma cruzi, continues to be a serious public health problem in Latin America, worsened by the limitations in its detection. Given the importance of developing new diagnostic methods for this disease, the present review aimed to verify the number of publications dedicated to research on peptides that demonstrate their usefulness in serodiagnosis. To this end, a bibliographic survey was conducted on the PubMed platform using the keyword "peptide" or "epitope" combined with "Chagas disease" or "Trypanosoma cruzi"; "diagno*" or "serodiagnosis" or "immunodiagnosis", without period restriction. An increasing number of publications on studies employing peptides in ELISA and rapid tests assays was verified, which confirms the expansion of research in this field. It is possible to observe that many of the peptides tested so far originate from proteins widely used in the diagnosis of Chagas, and many of them are part of commercial tests developed. In this sense, as expected, promising results were obtained for several peptides when tested in ELISA, as many of them exhibited sensitivity and specificity values above 90%. Furthermore, some peptides have been tested in several studies, confirming their diagnostic potential. Despite the promising results observed, it is possible to emphasize the need for extensive testing of peptides, using different serological panels, in order to confirm their potential. The importance of producing an effective assay capable of detecting the clinical stages of the disease, as well as new immunogenic antigens that enable new serological diagnostic tools for Chagas disease, is evident.

A new proposal for phenotypic classification and outcome assessment of dermatomyositis based on clinical manifestations and serological testing.

BACKGROUND: Dermatomyositis (DM) is an infrequent disease subgroup of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies characterized by distinct skin lesions. However, high heterogeneity makes clinical diagnosis and treatment of DM very challenging. OBJECTIVES: Unsupervised classification in DM patients and analysis of key factors related to clinical outcomes. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted between 2017 and 2022 at the Department of Rheumatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University. 162 DM patients were enrolled for unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis. In addition, we divided the clinical outcomes of DM patients into four subgroups: withdrawal, stabilization, aggravation, and death, and compared the clinical profiles amongst the subgroups. RESULTS: Out of 162 DM patients, three clusters were defined. Cluster 1 (n = 40) was mainly grouped by patients with prominent muscular involvement and mild Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD). Cluster 2 (n = 72) grouped patients with skin rash, anti-Melanoma Differentiation Associated protein 5 positive (anti-MDA5+), and Rapid Progressive Interstitial Lung Disease (RP-ILD). Cluster 3 (n = 50) grouped patients with the mildest symptoms. The proportion of death increased across the three clusters (cluster 3 < cluster 1 < cluster 2). STUDY LIMITATIONS: The number of cases was limited for the subsequent construction and validation of predictive models. We did not review all skin symptoms or pathological changes in detail. CONCLUSIONS: We reclassified DM into three clusters with different risks for poor outcome based on diverse clinical profiles. Clinical serological testing and cluster analysis are necessary to help clinicians evaluate patients during follow-up and conduct phenotype-based personalized care in DM.

Development of an indirect ELISA for the serodiagnosis of canine infection by Onchocerca lupi.

Onchocerca lupi is a zoonotic filarioid parasite of dogs and cats with widespread distribution. A specific non-invasive diagnostic assay for the detection of O. lupi infections remains unavailable. This study aimed to assess the accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity of an ELISA test designed using nine peptides from two O. lupi proteins. Sera (n = 54) collected from O. lupi infected dogs from endemic areas (Portugal and USA), alongside sera from dogs positive for Dirofilaria immitis, D. repens, Cercopithifilaria bainae, and Acanthocheilonema reconditum (n = 53) from a non-endemic area for O. lupi, as well as from helminth-free dogs (n = 60), were tested. The checkerboard titration method was applied for the optimization of peptide concentrations and conjugate anti-dog dilutions. Sensitivity, specificity, and optimal cut-off values were calculated using ROC curve analysis. All peptides reacted against sera of O. lupi, with no correlation between optic density (OD) values and microfilariae (mfs) loads. Sensitivity and specificity values ranging from 85.45 to 100%, and 88.89% to 100%, respectively, were recorded for all peptides examined, with 100% specificity and sensitivity observed for peptides 40_3, 40_5, 130_3, 120_3 and 40_1, 130_5, respectively. The maximum cut-off value was observed for peptides 40_5 (0.765) and 40_3 (0.708). Testing of sera from dogs positive for other filarioids resulted in lower OD values (up to 1.565) for peptides 40_3 and 40_5 when compared with O. lupi (up to 2.929). The availability of this assay will be of value in epidemiological studies of canine O. lupi infection in both endemic and non-endemic areas, and in assessing the risk for zoonotic transmission.

Application of a recombinant novel trypsin from Trichinella spiralis for serodiagnosis of trichinellosis.

BACKGROUND: The excretory/secretory (ES) antigen of Trichinella spiralis muscle larvae (ML) is currently the most widely used diagnostic antigen to detect T. spiralis infection. However, this antigen has certain drawbacks, such as a complicated ES antigen preparation process and lower sensitivity during the early phase of infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the features of a novel T. spiralis trypsin (TsTryp) and evaluate its potential diagnostic value for trichinellosis. METHODS: The TsTryp gene was cloned and recombinant TsTryp (rTsTryp) expressed. Western blotting and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were performed to confirm the antigenicity of rTsTryp. The expression pattern and distribution signature of TsTryp at various life-cycle stages of T. spiralis were analyzed by quantitative PCR, western blotting and the immunofluorescence test. An ELISA with rTsTryp and ML ES antigens was used to detect immunoglobulins G and M (IgG, IgM) in serum samples of infected mice, swine and humans. The seropositive results were further confirmed by western blot with rTsTryp and ML ES antigens. RESULTS: TsTryp expression was observed in diverse T. spiralis life-cycle phases, with particularly high expression in the early developmental phase (intestinal infectious larvae and adults), with distribution observed mainly at the nematode outer cuticle and stichosome. rTsTryp was identified by T. spiralis-infected mouse sera and anti-rTsTryp sera. Natural TsTryp protease was detected in somatic soluble and ES antigens of the nematode. In mice infected with 200 T. spiralis ML, serum-specific IgG was first detected by rTsTryp-ELISA at 8 days post-infection (dpi), reaching 100% positivity at 12 dpi, and first detected by ES-ELISA at 10 dpi, reaching 100% positivity at 14 dpi. Specific IgG was detected by rTsTryp 2 days earlier than by ES antigens. When specific IgG was determined in serum samples from trichinellosis patients, the sensitivity of rTsTryp-ELISA and ES antigens-ELISA was 98.1% (51/52 samples) and 94.2% (49/52 samples), respectively (P = 0.308), but the specificity of rTsTryp was significantly higher than that of ES antigens (98.7% vs. 95.4%; P = 0.030). Additionally, rTsTryp conferred a lower cross-reaction, with only three serum samples in total testing positive from 11 clonorchiasis, 20 cysticercosis and 24 echinococcosis patients (1 sample from each patient group). CONCLUSIONS: TsTryp was shown to be an early and highly expressed antigen at intestinal T. spiralis stages, indicating that rTsTryp represents a valuable diagnostic antigen for the serodiagnosis of early Trichinella infection.

Serodiagnosis of multiple cancers using an extracellular protein kinase A autoantibody-based lateral flow platform.

Extracellular protein kinase A autoantibody (ECPKA-AutoAb) has been suggested as a universal cancer biomarker due to its higher amounts in serum of several types of cancer patients than that of normal individuals. Herein, we first developed a lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) tool, using a sandwich format, toward ECPKA-AutoAb in human serum. For this format, 3G2 as a capture antibody was identified using hybridoma technique and a series of screenings where it showed superior capacity to recognize Enzo PKA catalytic subunit alpha (Cα), compared to other PKA antibodies and antigens. Using these components, we performed sandwich ELISA toward a mimic and real sample of ECPKA-AutoAb. As per the results, limit of detection (LOD) was found to be 135 ng/mL and ECPKA-AutoAb levels were higher in various cancer patients than in normal individuals like previous studies. Based on these results, we applied this sandwich format into LFIA tool and found that the LOD of the fabricated LFIA tool showed about 3.8 ng/mL using spiked PKA-Ab, which is significantly improved compared to the LOD of sandwich ELISA. Also, the developed LFIA tool demonstrated a remarkable ability to detect significant differences in ECPKA-AutoAb levels between normal and cancer patients within 15 min, showing a potential for point-of-care (PoC) detection. One interesting point is that our LFIA strip contains an additional conjugation pad II, named because of its position behind the conjugation pad, in which PKA Cα is dried, enabling a sandwich format.

Principais motivos de descarte de córneas para transplante na Paraíba: por que o anti-HBc merece atenção?* / Main reasons for discarding corneas for transplant in Paraíba: why does anti-HBc deserve attention?*

RESUMO Objetivo: Identificar o perfil dos doadores de tecidos oculares humanos na área de atuação do Banco de Olhos da Paraíba, destacando o impacto da sorologia positiva para hepatite B no descarte dos tecidos para transplante. Métodos: O estudo é transversal e utilizou dados do Banco de Olhos da Paraíba entre janeiro de 2013 e dezembro de 2022. Dados sobre procedência, idade, sexo, causa do óbito, tempo entre óbito e enucleação, resultados sorológicos e motivo de descarte das córneas dos doadores foram coletados. Resultados: O maior motivo de descarte foi por sorologia positiva (56,5%), sendo positivadas as sorologias positivas para hepatite B e HBsAg em 11,1% e 4,75% dos pacientes, respectivamente. Conclusão: A sorologia positiva para hepatite B como um critério de descarte absoluto é responsável por grande parcela de descartes, apesar da pouca informação sobre suas repercussões e representação de infectividade nos receptores do transplante.

ABSTRACT Objective: To identify the profile of human ocular tissue donors in the area covered by the Eye Bank of Paraíba (PB), highlighting the impact of positive serology for hepatitis B (anti-HBc) in the disposal of tissues for transplantation. Methods: This is a cross-sectional that uses data from the Eye Bank of Paraíba (PB) between January 2013 and December 2022. Data on origin, age, sex, cause of death, time between death and enucleation, serological results, and reason for discarded donor corneas were collected. Results: The main reason for discarding was due to positive serology (56.5%), with positive anti-HBc and HBsAg serology in 11.1% and 4.75% of patients, respectively. Conclusion: Anti-HBc positive serology as an absolute disposal criterion is responsible for great part of disposals, despite little information about its repercussions and representation of infectivity in transplant recipients.

Variantes en la presentación clínica de la enfermedad por arañazo de gato en niños del hospital Garrahan / Variants in the clinical presentation of cat scratch disease in children at Garrahan Hospital

La infección por Bartonella henselae (BH) adopta diversas formas de presentación clínica en pediatría. Según la bibliografía la forma de presentación más frecuente en pacientes inmunocompetentes es la linfadenopatía única asociada a fiebre. En el 85 % de los casos se compromete un solo ganglio siendo los axilares y los epitrocleares los más frecuentemente involucrados. Existen otras formas de presentación menos frecuentes que debemos tener en consideración, para poder realizar un diagnóstico precoz e indicar un tratamiento adecuado si así lo requiere. El diagnóstico requiere de la sospecha clínica del equipo de salud tratante, junto al antecedente epidemiológico, los hallazgos clínicos del examen físico y la realización de serologías que incluyan el dosaje de inmunoglobulina M y G. Los objetivos del presente trabajo fueron reconocer las manifestaciones clínicas típicas y atípicas de la EAG por Bartonella henselae, describir la epidemiología, características clínicas y evolución de esta enfermedad que se presentaron en nuestro hospital. Se estudiaron un total de 187 pacientes. La media de edad fue de 7.6 años (rango 1-14); siendo 53.5% de género masculino. Las formas de presentación más frecuentes en nuestro trabajo fueron la adenitis y la fiebre. La mayoría recibió diversos esquemas de tratamiento antibiótico, secundario al retraso en el diagnóstico. La tasa de hospitalización fue muy baja, remitió con tratamiento ambulatorio con antibióticos o sin ellos (AU)

Bartonella henselae infection has different clinical presentations in pediatrics. According to the literature, the most common form of presentation in immunocompetent patients is single lymphadenopathy associated with fever. In 85 % of the cases a single lymph node is involved, with the axillary and epitrochlear nodes being the most commonly involved. There are other, less frequent, forms of presentation that should be taken into consideration in order to make an early diagnosis and indicate appropriate treatment if required. Diagnosis relies on clinical suspicion by the treating healthcare team, together with the epidemiological history, clinical findings on physical examination, and serology including immunoglobulin M and G dosage. The objectives of this study were to identify both the typical and atypical clinical manifestations of Bartonella henselae cat scratch disease, to describe the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of cases presenting at our hospital. A total of 187 patients were studied. The mean age was 7.6 years (range 1-14); 53.5% were male. The most frequent forms of presentation in our study were adenitis and fever. Most of them received different antibiotic treatment regimens due to delayed diagnosis. The hospitalization rate was very low and the disease typically resolved with outpatient treatment, with or without antibiotics (AU)

Analysis of the incidence of anogenital warts and serological test results for other sexually transmitted infections.

INTRODUCTION: Anogenital warts (AGWs) are proliferative lesions mainly presenting in the anal, genital, and perianal regions. They are one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections globally. METHODS: The study included patients that presented at the Dermatology Clinic of Health Sciences, University Elazig, Fethi Sekin City Hospital between January 2019 and December 2022 and were diagnosed with AGWs. Patients that presented with this diagnosis and were screened for other sexually transmitted infections (HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HCV, anti-HIV, VDRL, and TPHA) were identified. Epidemiological and demographic patient data and the results of serological tests for other sexually transmitted infections in the last 4 years were analyzed. The patient data and examination results were collected retrospectively based on the hospital automated patient records. RESULTS: AGW incidence was significantly higher in males. The mean patient age was 32, and the mean female patient age was lower than that of males. It was observed that the number of patients that were followed up with an AGW diagnosis increased significantly during the last 4 years (p < 0.05). The study detected 2.2% HBsAg, 0.6% TPHA, 0.3% VDRL, 0.5% anti-HCV, and 56.5% anti-HBs positivity. No anti-HIV-positive patients were identified. None of the patients had more than one sexually transmitted infection on serology testing. CONCLUSIONS: Although the serological findings were higher when compared to certain studies and quite low when compared to others, it would be beneficial to evaluate all patients with AGWs for other sexually transmitted infections.

Immunogenic mapping of rDyn-1 and rKDDR-plus proteins and selection of oligopeptides by immunoblotting for the diagnosis of Leishmania infantum-infected dogs.

Endemic in Brazil, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a zoonotic infection that is among the most important parasitic diseases transmitted by vectors. Dogs are the main reservoirs of canine leishmaniasis (CanL) and their identification is used in some countries as part of disease prevention and control measures in the canine and human population. In this context, serological tests are necessary, composed of antigens capable of correctly identifying infected dogs, minimizing the number of false-negative cases. This study aimed to identify more immunoreactive peptides derived from two previously described whole proteins (rDyn-1 and rKDDR-plus) and compare their performance to the control antigens rK39 and the crude extract for the detection of dogs infected with L. infantum, especially the asymptomatic ones. The three selected peptides and a mixture of them, along with the rDyn-1, rKDDR-plus, rK39, and crude extract antigens were evaluated using indirect ELISA with sera samples from 186 dogs with CanL, being asymptomatic (n = 50), symptomatic (n = 50), co-infected (n = 19), infected with Babesia sp. (n = 7), Ehrlichia sp. (n = 6), T. cruzi (n = 20) and uninfected (n = 34). The results showed that the rDyn-1 protein and the peptide mixture had the highest sensitivity (100% and 98.32%, respectively) and specificity (97.01 and 98.51, respectively). A high degree of kappa agreement was found for rDyn-1 protein (0.977), mixed peptides (0.965), rKDDR-plus protein (0.953), K-plus peptide 1 (0.930) and Dyn-1 peptide (0.893). The mixture of peptides showed the highest likelihood (65.87). The ELISA using the mixture of peptides and the rDyn-1 protein showed high performance for CanL serodiagnosis. More mix combinations of the peptides and additional extended field tests with a larger sample size are recommended.

Impacto de la pandemia por SARS-CoV-2 en el testeo de VIH en un hospital público de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires / Analysis on the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in relation to HIV testing at a Public Hospital in Buenos Aires City

La aparición del SARS-CoV-2 a fines de 2019 provocó difi-cultades en los sistemas sanitarios para cumplir con las metas propuestas por la OMS destinadas a erradicar el VIH, principalmente en países en vías de desarrollo. Con el fin de evaluar el impacto en nuestro medio, un hospital público de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires relevó los testeos de VIH (asistenciales y voluntarios) y sus resultados en el periodo enero 2017-diciembre 2022 a partir de los registros del laboratorio central. Los test realizados en pandemia fueron el 62% de los históricos (38% menos) y las prevalen-cias de serologías reactivas del asistencial mostraron una disminución (3,13% vs. 2,56%), mientras que las del Cen-tro de Prevención, Asesoramiento y Diagnóstico (CEPAD) aumentaron (3,56% vs. 5,39%). Teniendo en cuenta que la ausencia de diagnóstico de VIH implica perpetuación del virus en la población, y que el aumento de prevalencias de serologías reactivas en un grupo poblacional es indicativo de rebrote de VIH, es necesario retomar en forma proactiva la lucha contra el VIH

The emergence of SARS-COV-2 at the end of 2019 caused difficulties for the public health system to achieve the goals set by the WHO (World's Health Organization) focused on the eradication of HIV, mainly in developing countries. With the purpose of evaluating the impact in our field, a public hospital in Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires provided the information about the tested tests (assistance and voluntary) and their results from the records of the central laboratory (January 2017-December 2022).The pandemic tests were 62% of histories (38%) and the prevalence of reactive serology the Healthcare serology decreased 3,13% vs 2,56%), while the Center for Prevention, Counseling and Diagnosis (CEPAD) serology increased (3,56% vs. 5,39%). Considering that the absence of an HIV diagnosis implies perpetuation of the virus in the population, and the increase in PSR% in a group is indicative of a possible regrowth of HIV, it is necessary to resume the fight against HIV proactively

Application and evaluation of native antigen B from Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto and E. canadensis alone or mixture for serodiagnosis of human G1-G3 and G6/G7 genotypes cystic echinococcosis sera, using ELISA and Western blotting.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is one of the most important helminthic diseases in the world with different genotypes distribution. The application of specific genotype antigens together with sera from patients with specific cyst genotypes have not been reported, so far. The present study aimed to apply and evaluate native AgB from Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (Eg) and Echinococcus canadensis (Ec) alone or mixture for serodiagnosis of human G1-G3 and G6/G7 genotypes cystic echinococcosis sera, using ELISA and Western blotting. A total of 47 human sera along with 47 human CE cysts were collected. CE genotypes were determined. Native AgB were prepared from E. granulosus s.s and E. canadensis genotypes. ELISA and Western blot were performed on human specific G1-G3 and G6/G7 genotypes sera. Species specific native AgB were used alone or mixed. The sensitivity of ELISA using alone and mixed 1Eg-1Ec, 1Eg-2Ec, and 2Eg-1Ec of native AgB from E. granulosus s.s and E. canadensis genotypes for human G1-G3 sera were 92.10, 89.47, 97.37, 100, and 100%, respectively; while using AgBs, alone and mixed for human G6/G7 sera were 100%. The sensitivity of Western blotting using native AgB of E. granulosus s.s and E. canadensis genotypes alone and mixed 2Eg-1Ec were 78.95% and 100% for human G1-G3 and G6/G7 genotypes sera, respectively. The mixture of AgB from Echinoccus granulosus sensu stricto and Echinococcus canadensis genotypes increased ELISA sensitivity for the diagnosis of human CE. Preparation and application of native AgB from specific and prevalent genotypes of CE in endemic regions is recommended.

Comparison of two new HTLV-I/II screening methods, Abbott Alinity i rHTLV-I/II and Diasorin LIAISON® XL murex recHTLV-I/II, to Abbott architect rHTLVI/II assay.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus (HTLV) types I and II infection requires sequencial testing with firstly a screening using an Enzyme immunoassay followed by a confirmatory test. OBJECTIVES: To compare the performances of the Alinity i rHTLV-I/II (Abbott®) and LIAISON® XL murex recHTLV-I/II serological screening tests to the ARCHITECT rHTLVI/II test followed if positive by HTLV BLOT 2.4, MP Diagnostics as the reference. STUDY DESIGN: 119 serum samples from 92 known HTLV-I infected patients and 184 from uninfected patients with HTLV were analyzed in parallel with, Alinity i rHTLV-I/II, LIAISON® XL murex recHTLV-I/II and ARCHITECT rHTLVI/II. RESULTS: Alinity i rHTLV-I/II and LIAISON® XL murex recHTLV-I/II exhibited a total agreement with ARCHITECT rHTLVI/II for both positive and negative samples. Both tests are suitable alternatives for HTLV screening.

Kimura disease as an uncommon cause of persistent hypereosinophilia: a diagnostic challenge.

Kimura disease (KD) is an unusual inflammatory disease of unknown etiology. Despite being described many years ago, KD might cause diagnostic difficulty or be confused with other conditions. Here, we present a 33-year-old Filipino woman who was referred to our hospital for evaluation of persistent eosinophilia and intense pruritus. Blood analysis and peripheral blood smear review showed high eosinophil counts (3.8 x109/L, 40%) that did not show morphological abnormalities. Besides, high serum IgE concentration was detected (33,528 kU/L). Serological tests were positive for Toxocara canis and treatment with albendazol was initiated. Nevertheless, increased eosinophil counts were still present after several months, alongside with high serum IgE concentrations and intense pruritus. During her follow-up, an inguinal adenopathy was detected. The biopsy revealed lymphoid hyperplasia with reactive germinal centers and massive eosinophil infiltration. Proteinaceous deposits of eosinophilic material were also observed. All these findings, together with peripheral blood eosinophilia and high IgE concentrations, confirmed the diagnosis of KD. The diagnosis of KD should be considered in the differential diagnosis of long-standing unexplained eosinophilia in association with high IgE concentrations, pruritus and lymphadenopathies.

A systematic review of peptide-based serological tests for the diagnosis of leishmaniasis.

Serological methods should meet the needs of leishmaniasis diagnosis due to their high sensitivity and specificity, economical and adaptable rapid diagnostic test format, and ease of use. Currently, the performances of serological diagnostic tests, despite improvements with recombinant proteins, vary greatly depending on the clinical form of leishmaniasis and the endemic area. Peptide-based serological tests are promising as they could compensate for antigenic variability and improve performance, independently of Leishmania species and subspecies circulating in the endemic areas. The objective of this systematic review was to inventory all studies published from 2002 to 2022 that evaluate synthetic peptides for serological diagnosis of human leishmaniases and also to highlight the performance (e.g., sensitivity and specificity) of each peptide reported in these studies. All clinical forms of leishmaniasis, visceral and tegumentary, and all Leishmania species responsible for these diseases were considered. Following PRISMA statement recommendations, 1,405 studies were identified but only 22 articles met the selection criteria and were included in this systematic review. These original research articles described 77 different peptides, of which several have promising performance for visceral or tegumentary leishmaniasis diagnosis. This review highlights the importance of and growing interest in synthetic peptides used for serological diagnosis of leishmaniases, and their performances compared to some widely used tests with recombinant proteins.

Title: Revue systématique des tests sérologiques à base de peptides pour le diagnostic de la leishmaniose. Abstract: D'une sensibilité et d'une spécificité élevées, faciles à réaliser, économiques et adaptables à un format de test de diagnostic rapide, les méthodes sérologiques devraient répondre aux besoins du diagnostic de la leishmaniose. Actuellement, les performances des tests de diagnostic sérologique, malgré des améliorations avec les protéines recombinantes, varient fortement selon la forme clinique de la leishmaniose et les zones d'endémie. Les tests sérologiques à base de peptides sont prometteurs car ils pourraient compenser la variabilité antigénique et améliorer les performances, indépendamment des espèces et sous-espèces de Leishmania circulant dans les zones endémiques. L'objectif de cette revue systématique était d'inventorier toutes les études publiées de 2002 à 2022 qui évaluent les peptides synthétiques pour le diagnostic sérologique des leishmanioses humaines et également de mettre en évidence les performances (dont la sensibilité et la spécificité) de chaque peptide rapporté dans ces études. Toutes les formes cliniques de leishmanioses, viscérales et tégumentaires, et toutes les espèces de Leishmania responsables de ces maladies ont été considérées. Suite aux recommandations de la déclaration PRISMA, 1405 études ont été identifiées mais seuls 22 articles répondaient aux critères de sélection et ont été inclus dans cette revue systématique. Ces articles de recherche originaux décrivent 77 peptides différents, dont plusieurs sont prometteurs pour le diagnostic de la leishmaniose viscérale ou tégumentaire. Cette revue met en évidence l'importance et l'intérêt croissant accordés aux peptides synthétiques utilisés pour le diagnostic sérologique des leishmanioses, et leurs performances par rapport à certains tests largement utilisés avec des protéines recombinantes.

Combination of ultrasound and serological tests for detecting occult lateral lymph node metastases in medullary thyroid cancer.

PURPOSE: To investigate the value of ultrasound and serum marker tests in detecting lateral lymph node metastasis in medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). METHODS: Data of 105 patients diagnosed with MTC and admitted to the Department of General Surgery in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from June 2010 to August 2020 were collected and retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Ultrasound examination alone had a sensitivity of 89.36% and a specificity of 70.69%. For surveillance of postoperative carcinoembryonic antigen and calcitonin, cut-off values of 7.115 ng/mL and 13.185 pg/mL, respectively, were shown to discriminate the presence of cervical lymph node metastasis. Combining ultrasound and postoperative serum levels of both carcinoembryonic antigen and calcitonin as serial tests increased the specificity to 91.38% and 87.93%, with a sensitivity of 95.45%. Multivariate logistic analysis identified the following risk factors for lateral lymph node metastasis in MTC: suspicious lymph nodes detected by ultrasound and postoperative calcitonin above 13.185 pg/mL. CONCLUSION: The combination of ultrasound and serological tests achieved higher sensitivity and specificity to identify MTC cases with potential occult lateral cervical lymph node metastasis compared with single tests.

Identification of Zika Virus NS1-Derived Peptides with Potential Applications in Serological Tests.

Zika virus (ZIKV), a mosquito-borne pathogen, is an emerging arbovirus associated with sporadic symptomatic cases of great medical concern, particularly among pregnant women and newborns affected with neurological disorders. Serological diagnosis of ZIKV infection is still an unmet challenge due to the co-circulation of the dengue virus, which shares extensive sequence conservation of structural proteins leading to the generation of cross-reactive antibodies. In this study, we aimed to obtain tools for the development of improved serological tests for the detection of ZIKV infection. Polyclonal sera (pAb) and a monoclonal antibody (mAb 2F2) against a recombinant form of the ZIKV nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) allowed the identification of linear peptide epitopes of the NS1 protein. Based on these findings, six chemically synthesized peptides were tested both in dot blot and ELISA assays using convalescent sera collected from ZIKV-infected patients. Two of these peptides specifically detected the presence of ZIKV antibodies and proved to be candidates for the detection of ZIKV-infected subjects. The availability of these tools opens perspectives for the development of NS1-based serological tests with enhanced sensitivity regarding other flaviviruses.

A Mini-review on Potentials Proteins/Peptides Applied for Serodiagnosis of Human Monkeypox Infection and Future Trends.

Monkeypox is a zoonosis that re-emerged in 2022, generating cases in non-endemic countries for the disease and creating a public health issue. The rapid increase in the number of cases kindles a need for quick, inexpensive diagnostic tests for the epidemiological control of the disease. The high cost of molecular tests can make this control more difficult to access in poorer regions, with immunological tests being a more viable option. In this mini-review, a search was conducted in the main databases for peptide and protein options that could be used in the development of serological diagnostic tests. Nine viable registres were found, and seven were selected (two patents and five studies). The main studies used the B21R peptide sequence as it is a high immunogenic epitope. In addition, studies on the improvement of these sequences were also found to avoid cross-reactions against other viruses of the same family, proposing a rational approach using multiepitope recombinant proteins. These approaches demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity values and are seen as viable options for developing new tests. New effective serological testing options, when combined with awareness, disease surveillance, early diagnosis, and rapid communication, form a set of key strategies used by health systems to control the spread of the monkeypox virus.

Serologic Screening for Genital Herpes Infection: US Preventive Services Task Force Reaffirmation Recommendation Statement.

Importance: Genital herpes is a common sexually transmitted infection caused by 2 related viruses, herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2). Infection is lifelong; currently, there is no cure for HSV infection. Antiviral medications may provide clinical benefits to symptomatic persons. Transmission of HSV from a pregnant person to their infant can occur, most commonly during delivery; when genital lesions or prodromal symptoms are present, cesarean delivery can reduce the risk of transmission. Neonatal herpes infection is uncommon yet can result in substantial morbidity and mortality. Objective: To reaffirm its 2016 recommendation, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) commissioned a reaffirmation evidence update on targeted key questions to systematically evaluate the evidence on accuracy, benefits, and harms of routine serologic screening for HSV-2 infection in asymptomatic adolescents, adults, and pregnant persons. Population: Adolescents and adults, including pregnant persons, without known history, signs, or symptoms of genital HSV infection. Evidence Assessment: The USPSTF concludes with moderate certainty that the harms outweigh the benefits for population-based screening for genital HSV infection in asymptomatic adolescents and adults, including pregnant persons. Recommendation: The USPSTF recommends against routine serologic screening for genital HSV infection in asymptomatic adolescents and adults, including pregnant persons. (D recommendation).

Serologic Screening for Genital Herpes: Updated Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.

This systematic review to support the 2023 US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement on serologic screening for genital herpes summarizes published evidence on the benefits and harms of screening and interventions for genital herpes in asymptomatic sexually active adolescents, adults, and pregnant persons with no clinical history of genital herpes.

A double-strain TM (gp45) polypeptide antigen and its application in the serodiagnosis of equine infectious anemia.

Lentiviruses, including equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), are considered viral quasispecies because of their intrinsic genetic, structural and phenotypic variability. Immunoenzymatic tests (ELISA) for EIAV reported in the literature were obtained mainly by using the capsid protein p26, which is derived almost exclusively from a single strain (Wyoming), and do not reflect the great potential epitopic variability of the EIAV quasispecies. In this investigation, the GenBank database was exploited in a systematic approach to design a set of representative protein antigens useful for EIAV serodiagnosis. The main bioinformatic tools used were clustering, molecular modelling, epitope predictions and aggregative/ solubility predictions. This approach led to the design of two antigenic proteins, i.e. a full sequence p26 capsid protein and a doublestrain polypeptide derived from the gp45 transmembrane protein fused to Maltose Binding Protein (MBP) that were expressed by recombinant DNA technology starting from synthetic genes, and analyzed by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Both proteins were used in an indirect ELISA test that can address some of the high variability of EIAV. The novel addition of the gp45 double-strain antigen contributed to enhance the diagnostic sensitivity and could be also useful for immunoblotting application.