Diagnostic and immunoprophylactic applications of synthetic peptides in veterinary microbiology

Abstract

Diagnosis of invasive fungal diseases remains problematic, especially in undeveloped countries. We have developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of antibodies to Histoplasma capsulatum using metaperiodate treated purified histoplasmin (ptHMIN). Our ELISA was validated comparing sera from patients with histoplasmosis, related mycoses, and healthy individuals. The overall test specificity was 96%, with sensitivities of 100% (8/8) in acute disease, 90% (9/10) in chronic disease, 89% (8/9) in disseminated infection in individuals without HIV infection, 86% (12/14) in disseminated disease in the setting of HIV infection and 100% (3/3) in mediastinal histoplasmosis. These parameters are superior to the use of untreated histoplasmin in diagnostic ELISAs. The high specificities, sensitivities, and simplicity of our ELISA support further development of a deglycosylated HMIN ELISA for clinical use and for monitoring the humoral immune response during therapy in patients with chronic and disseminated histoplasmosis.

The Use of Peptides in Veterinary Serodiagnosis of Infectious Diseases: A Review

“…Different approaches can be used and include the use of bioinformatics tools (in silico prediction), for this purpose software such as immune epitope database and analysis resource (IEDB) or HHpred [ 42 , 43 ] are available for free. These platforms are one of the most accessible options, and prediction of linear or conformational epitopes is possible, furthermore, other parameters such as secondary structures, antigenic index, hydrophilicity, flexibility can be determined [ 17 ], however, this methodology is not exempt from problems and can fail. Other options that require the use of more complex or costly technology are Pepscan, site-directed mutagenesis, mass spectrometry, and phage display, while X-ray diffraction is considered the golden standard [ 44 ].…”

“…Several decades have passed since the development of the technology to produce peptides and imaginative applications in Veterinary Medicine have been explored. Two previous reviews illustrated the scope of peptides in the diagnosis and immunologic applications in animals [ 17 , 45 ], however, new articles with alternative peptides that differ from the commercial kits have been published since then, and comparisons with established diagnostic systems have been performed, moreover, other systems than the classic pELISA were developed; therefore, this review aimed to update the use of peptide-based diagnostic tools in the serodiagnosis of diseases of different domestic animals and remark some aspects about their utility. The main characteristics of the diagnostic systems for peptides by species that are discussed are summarized in Table 2 .…”

“…In Veterinary Medicine, peptides have been investigated and used majorly in the field of animal nutrition, therapeutics, reproduction, vaccines, and diagnostic tools [ 17 ]. One of its most widely known uses is to treat infectious diseases caused by pathogens.…”