Oncospheral peptide-based ELISAs as potential seroepidemiological tools for Taenia solium cysticercosis/neurocysticercosis in Venezuela

Abstract

This study evaluates five synthetic peptides derived from four, potentially protective, Taenia saginata oncosphere molecules for the serodiagnosis of T. solium cysticercosis/neurocysticercosis in three distinct Venezuelan endemic regions. The peptides, all of which have been described previously, are designated HP6-3, Ts45W-1, Ts45W-5, Ts45S-10 and TEG-1. In clinically verified and seropositive hospital cases, combining the results of three of the individual peptide-based ELISAs (HP6-3, Ts45W-1 and Ts45W-5) afforded the best balance between sensitivity (85%) and specificity (83.5%), a significant improvement on the 63.6% specificity obtained with the routinely employed T. solium cyst-fluid-based ELISA. Similarly, in the seropositive Venezuelan endemic zone samples, 89.09% of Amerindians, 77.27% of symptomatic rural subjects and 67.83% of non-symptomatic rural subjects were also classed as seropositive by the combined peptide-based ELISAs. The profile of antibody recognition to individual peptides varied between the different groups of samples examined. The relevance of the above findings for the serology and prognosis of T. solium cysticercosis/neurocysticercosis in hospital- and field-based situations is discussed.

Taeniosis and Cysticercosis

“…Also, peptides derived from T. saginata oncosphere molecules have been used for cysticercosis diagnosis and human and animal disease, with similar results to the ones reported above (Fleury et al 2003;Ferrer et al 2005b). …”

Seroprevalence and risk factors of cysticercosis in two rural communities from northern of Anzoátegui state, Venezuela

“…La cisticercosis es una enfermedad que se encuentra en áreas donde predominan condiciones socioeconómicas y sanitarias inadecuadas, y en Venezuela estas enfermedades se han reportado principalmente en zonas rurales (25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30) En otros países también se pueden observar resultados similares, por ejemplo, en Perú, en un estudio de seroprevalencia en 10 comunidades rurales se reportaron seroprevalencias entre 7,1 % y 26,9 % (11). En una comunidad rural de la costa norte de Perú se encontró una seroprevalencia de 24,2 % (12), en tanto que en una comunidad de los Andes centrales de este país fue de 3,3 % (13), la cual coincide con la encontrada en este estudio en Boquerón.…”

“…En estudios de diversos grupos de investigación se ha detectado la presencia de teniasis y cisticercosis en los estados Carabobo, Yaracuy, Lara, Cojedes, Mérida, Táchira, Sucre, Zulia y Amazonas (6,(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30). Tampoco existe mucha información sobre la enfermedad, ya que no es de notificación obligatoria y son pocos los trabajos de investigación que se han hecho al respecto, por lo cual no se conocen muy bien las áreas endémicas; además, en algunos casos se desconocen los factores de riesgo (24).…”

Immunological and molecular diagnosis of cysticercosis

“…However, to date no synthetic peptide has performed at the level of native antigens for diagnostic purposes. 61,67,[79][80][81] A possible alternative is to use more than one synthetic peptide in the same assay, 82 as in the multiantigen print immunoassay, in which several recombinant or synthetic antigens are printed at different positions along a single strip and thus obviating the need for electrophoretic separation. 83 Recombinant proteins perform better than synthetic peptides, most likely because part of the response is directed towards conformational epitopes.…”