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- Title
Construction and assessment of OvMCBL<sub>02</sub> chimeric antigen for onchocerciasis diagnosis.
- Authors
Shintouo, Cabirou Mounchili; Yengo, Bernis Neneyoh; Hotterbeekx, An; Ayong, Lawrence; Vanhamme, Luc; Njemini, Rose; Souopgui, Jacob; Colebunders, Robert; Ghogomu, Stephen Mbigha
- Abstract
Background: Onchocerciasis is a Neglected Tropical Disease with enormous socioeconomic burden. It is the second leading cause of infectious blindness, with over 99% of 20.9 million cases occurring in Africa. The public health goal of onchocerciasis in Africa has advanced from control to elimination. Numerous reports indicate that accurate diagnosis is necessary to determine treatment endpoints and confirm elimination, as well as to conduct surveillance for the identification of any possible recrudescence of the disease. The current diagnostic tests are either invasive, insensitive, or not applicable in the field and about 25% of onchocerciasis patients are unable to generate immune responses against the Ov-16 antigen used in the only serological test approved by WHO. Objective: To generate a diagnostic test that will be applicable in onchocerciasis elimination efforts. Methods: Mass spectrometric analysis of Onchocerca volvulus crude extract was performed to identify proteins that are expressed by the parasite. In silico analysis was done to predict proteins that were specific for O. volvulus. Linear B-epitopes were predicted and used to design OvMCBL02 chimeric antigen. Serological analysis was done to evaluate the diagnostic potential of OvMCBL02 chimeric antigen. Results: It was revealed that 1393 proteins are expressed in the adult and microfilariae stages of O. volvulus. Computational analysis predicted 6 of the proteins as potential diagnostic targets for the parasite. OvMCBL02 chimeric antigen was designed using linear B-epitopes of these 6 proteins. Serological analysis revealed that OvMCBL02 test significantly differentiated between onchocerciasis patient sera and control sera from Rwanda and Europe. Interestingly, the test did not cross-react with serum samples from patients suffering from related nematode infections. Conclusion: OvMCBL02 chimeric antigen was constructed and validated as a diagnostic candidate for onchocerciasis. Further characterization of OvMCBL02 chimeric antigen will render it an additional member of the diagnostic toolkit for the elimination of onchocerciasis.
- Subjects
RWANDA; AFRICA; ONCHOCERCIASIS; NEGLECTED diseases; DISEASE relapse; NEMATODE infections; ONCHOCERCA volvulus; ANTIGENS; VOLVULUS
- Publication
Tanzania Journal of Health Research, 2022, Vol 23, p84
- ISSN
1821-6404
- Publication type
Article