Novel Microfilarial Antigen Diagnoses Lymphatic Filariasis Infections
|
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 08 Jun 2022 |
|
Lymphatic filariasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by the filarial nematodes Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi and Brugia timori. Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a deforming and disabling disease caused by parasitic nematodes that are transmitted by mosquitoes.
Antibodies to some filarial antigens become detectable in blood sooner after exposure or infection, than microfilaria (Mf) or circulating filarial antigen (CFA). Furthermore, antibody assays may be more sensitive than tests for CFA or Mf for detecting filarial infections or exposure to infection in children.
Infectious Disease Specialists at the Washington University School of Medicine (St Louis, MO, USA) report the discovery and characterization of a novel W. bancrofti antigen, Wb-Bhp-1, which is a homologue of the Brugia malayi protein used in antibody tests to monitor filariasis elimination in areas of Asia where LF is caused by Brugia species. The team used various techniques to study the antigen diagnostic potential, including cloning and expression, tissue fixation and immunohistochemistry, immunoblot analysis, and indirect ELISA. They tested sera or plasma from patients infected with W. bancrofti, B. malayi, Onchocerca volvulus and Loa loa. Slides were examined on an Olympus -BX40 microscope and photographed on an Olympus DP70 microscope digital camera (Olympus, Tokyo Japan).
The scientists reported that immunohistology showed that anti-Wb-Bhp-1 antibodies primarily bind to Mf. Plasma from 124 of 224 (55%) microfilaremic individuals had IgG4 antibodies to Wb-Bhp-1 by ELISA. Serologic reactivity to Wb-Bhp-1 varied widely with samples from different regions (sensitivity range 32%–92%), with 77% sensitivity for 116 samples collected from microfilaremic individuals outside of sub-Saharan Africa. The team screened sera from people infected with W. bancrofti, and 12 of 13 (92%) reacted with Wb-Bhp-1 by immunoblot. The scientists tested 224 sera from individuals with W. bancrofti microfilaremia collected in Sri Lanka, India, Papua New Guinea, Egypt and Côte d’Ivoire. They found that 124/ 224 (55%) sera had anti-Wb-Bhp-1 IgG4 ELISA titers above the threshold of 0.2 OD490, using a BioTek ELx808 plate reader (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA).
The authors concluded that Wb-Bhp-1, a W. bancrofti homologue of BmR1, is a promising microfilarial antigen for diagnosis of bancroftian filariasis. Specificity testing showed that the Wb-Bhp-1 ELISA had low-level cross-reactivity with samples from people with onchocerciasis or loiasis. Wb-Bhp-1 serology may be especially useful in countries where the combination of ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine (DEC) and albendazole (IDA) can be used to accelerate LF elimination. The study was published on May 23, 2022 in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Related Links:
Washington University School of Medicine
Olympus
Agilent Technologies
Latest Microbiology News
- Handheld Device Deliver Low-Cost TB Results in Less Than One Hour
- New AI-Based Method Improves Diagnosis of Drug-Resistant Infections
- Breakthrough Diagnostic Technology Identifies Bacterial Infections with Almost 100% Accuracy within Three Hours
- Innovative ID/AST System to Help Diagnose Infectious Diseases and Combat AMR
- Gastrointestinal Panel Delivers Rapid Detection of Five Common Bacterial Pathogens for Outpatient Use
- Rapid PCR Testing in ICU Improves Antibiotic Stewardship
- Unique Genetic Signature Predicts Drug Resistance in Bacteria
- Unique Barcoding System Tracks Pneumonia-Causing Bacteria as They Infect Blood Stream
- Rapid Sepsis Diagnostic Test Demonstrates Improved Patient Care and Cost Savings in Hospital Application
- Rapid Diagnostic System to Detect Neonatal Sepsis Within Hours
- Novel Test to Diagnose Bacterial Pneumonia Directly from Whole Blood
- Interferon-γ Release Assay Effective in Patients with COPD Complicated with Pulmonary Tuberculosis
- New Point of Care Tests to Help Reduce Overuse of Antibiotics
- 30-Minute Sepsis Test Differentiates Bacterial Infections, Viral Infections, and Noninfectious Disease
- CRISPR-TB Blood Test to Enable Early Disease Diagnosis and Public Screening
- Syndromic Panel Provides Fast Answers for Outpatient Diagnosis of Gastrointestinal Conditions
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
Carbon Nanotubes Help Build Highly Accurate Sensors for Continuous Health Monitoring
Current sensors can measure various health indicators, such as blood glucose levels, in the body. However, there is a need to develop more accurate and sensitive sensor materials that can detect lower... Read more
Paper-Based Device Boosts HIV Test Accuracy from Dried Blood Samples
In regions where access to clinics for routine blood tests presents financial and logistical obstacles, HIV patients are increasingly able to collect and send a drop of blood using paper-based devices... Read more
Molecular Diagnostics
view channel
RNA-Based Blood Test Detects Preeclampsia Risk Months Before Symptoms
Preeclampsia remains a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality, as well as preterm births. Despite current guidelines that aim to identify pregnant women at increased risk of preeclampsia using... Read more
First Of Its Kind Test Uses microRNAs to Predict Toxicity from Cancer Therapy
Many men with early-stage prostate cancer receive stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), a highly precise form of radiation treatment that is completed in just five sessions. Compared to traditional radiation,... Read more
Novel Cell-Based Assay Provides Sensitive and Specific Autoantibody Detection in Demyelination
Anti-myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) antibodies serve as markers for an autoimmune demyelinating disorder that affects the peripheral nervous system, leading to sensory impairment. Anti-MAG-IgM antibodies... Read more
Hematology
view channel
New Scoring System Predicts Risk of Developing Cancer from Common Blood Disorder
Clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance (CCUS) is a blood disorder commonly found in older adults, characterized by mutations in blood cells and a low blood count, but without any obvious cause or... Read more
Non-Invasive Prenatal Test for Fetal RhD Status Demonstrates 100% Accuracy
In the United States, approximately 15% of pregnant individuals are RhD-negative. However, in about 40% of these cases, the fetus is also RhD-negative, making the administration of RhoGAM unnecessary.... Read more
Immunology
view channel
Stem Cell Test Predicts Treatment Outcome for Patients with Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer
Epithelial ovarian cancer frequently responds to chemotherapy initially, but eventually, the tumor develops resistance to the therapy, leading to regrowth. This resistance is partially due to the activation... Read more
Machine Learning-Enabled Blood Test Predicts Immunotherapy Response in Lymphoma Patients
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has emerged as one of the most promising recent developments in the treatment of blood cancers. However, over half of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients... Read more
Pathology
view channel
Advanced Imaging Reveals Mechanisms Causing Autoimmune Disease
Myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease, leads to muscle weakness that can affect a range of muscles, including those needed for basic actions like blinking, smiling, or moving. Researchers have long... Read more
AI Model Effectively Predicts Patient Outcomes in Common Lung Cancer Type
Lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), typically adopts one of six distinct growth patterns, often combining multiple patterns within a single tumor.... Read more
Technology
view channel
Pain-On-A-Chip Microfluidic Device Determines Types of Chronic Pain from Blood Samples
Chronic pain is a widespread condition that remains difficult to manage, and existing clinical methods for its treatment rely largely on self-reporting, which can be subjective and especially problematic... Read more
Innovative, Label-Free Ratiometric Fluorosensor Enables More Sensitive Viral RNA Detection
Viruses present a major global health risk, as demonstrated by recent pandemics, making early detection and identification essential for preventing new outbreaks. While traditional detection methods are... Read more
Industry
view channel
Cepheid and Oxford Nanopore Technologies Partner on Advancing Automated Sequencing-Based Solutions
Cepheid (Sunnyvale, CA, USA), a leading molecular diagnostics company, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies (Oxford, UK), the company behind a new generation of sequencing-based molecular analysis technologies,... Read more
Grifols and Tecan’s IBL Collaborate on Advanced Biomarker Panels
Grifols (Barcelona, Spain), one of the world’s leading producers of plasma-derived medicines and innovative diagnostic solutions, is expanding its offer in clinical diagnostics through a strategic partnership... Read more
