title: Peptide epitopes of the Taenia solium antigen Ts8B2 are immunodominant in human and porcine cysticercosis.
abstract: Ts8B2 is a gene which encodes for a member of the Taenia solium metacestode 8kDa antigen family. Since the Ts8B2-GST recombinant protein compares very favourably with other diagnostic antigens, and in order to study the antigenic nature and structure of this molecule, the Ts8B2 was expressed in prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems. The diagnostic potential of the recombinant Ts8B2 proteins was evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) using a collection of serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from patients with clinically defined neurocysticercosis (NCC), and also sera from T. solium infected pigs. Despite the predicted glycosylation of the Ts8B2-Bac recombinant protein, there was very little difference in assay sensitivity/specificity when the Ts8B2 reagent was expressed in either prokaryotic or eukaryotic systems, suggesting that peptidic Ts8B2 epitopes are immunodominant in porcine cysticercosis and human neurocysticercosis. Conveniently, production of recombinant Ts8B2 in Escherichia coli is economical and facile, making it a feasible and practical choice as a diagnostic reagent for use in endemic areas. The Ts8B2 ELISA is particularly useful for the diagnosis of active as opposed to inactive cases of NCC and conduct of the assay is also facilitated by the fact that assay sensitivity is significantly greater when serum as opposed to CSF samples are employed.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, 28220 Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.forename: José Angel
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Martínez-Escribano
authors.forename: María Eugenia González
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Barderas
authors.forename: Luis Miguel
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: María Milagros
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Cortéz
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dávila
authors.forename: Leslie J S
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: R Michael E
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Parkhouse
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gárate
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D002460:Cell Line; D003551:Cysticercosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D018411:Spodoptera; D013552:Swine; D041201:Taenia solium / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D018509:DNA, Helminth; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D011994:Recombinant Proteins