title: Chimeric synthetic peptides as antigens for detection of antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi.
abstract: Six chimeric synthetic peptides (QCha-1, QCha-2, QCha-3, QCha-4, QCha-5, and QCha-6) incorporating antigenic sequences of two immunodominant repeat B-cell epitopes of Trypanosoma cruzi were synthesized by conventional solid-phase peptide synthesis. The antigenic activity of these peptides was evaluated by UltramicroEnzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (UMELISA) by using panels of positive Chagasic sera (n=82), while specificity was evaluated with samples from healthy blood donors (n=44) and patients with other infectious diseases (n=86). The antigenicity of the chimeric peptides in solid-phase immunoassays was compared with that of the monomeric peptides. Data demonstrated that the chimeric peptide QCha-5 was the most reactive because it detected antibodies to parasite efficiently. The results indicate that chimeric peptide as coating antigen is very useful for the immunodiagnosis of Chagas' disease.
authors.affiliation: Peptide Synthesis Department, Immunoassay Center, Havana, Cuba. iqpeptidos@cie.sld.cu
authors.forename: Milenen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hernández Marin
authors.forename: Idialis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hernández Spengler
authors.forename: Grisell
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ramos Martínez
authors.forename: Lilliam
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pozo Peña
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D010455:Peptides