title: Diagnosis of onchocerciasis using highly specific and sensitive native proteins.
abstract: We describe a highly immunogenic low molecular weight fraction of proteins obtained from Onchocerca volvulus. It is comprised of a mixture of native proteins ranging in molecular weight from 10 to 40 kDa and is collectively designated PakF. Unlike other Onchocerca (and other filarial) antigens previously described, IgG4 antibody responses to this protein mixture were absent or low. In a simple, IgG-based dot blot assay, this mixture of native proteins showed high sensitivity, comparable to or better than that of other previously described recombinant proteins, when used to detect infected individuals in endemic areas of Ghana and Guatemala. The specificity was also high when evaluated using sera from patients with other filarial infections. Arguments are put forward to suggest that such a native fraction could present an interesting alternative to the use of well-defined molecules, which are expensive, labile or prone to denaturation, in endemic areas.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology and Tumorbiology Center, Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm.
authors.forename: Gabriel E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Guzmán
authors.forename: Catharina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lavebratt
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Luján
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akuffo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000032:analysis*; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000032:analysis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006166:Guatemala / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting / Q000379:methods*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D017181:Onchocerca volvulus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015827:Onchocerciasis, Ocular / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D007074:Immunoglobulin G