title: Detection of immunogenic parasite and host-specific proteins in the sera of active and chronic individuals infected with Toxoplasma gondii.
abstract: Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnant women may result in abortion and foetal abnormalities, and may be life-threatening in immunocompromised hosts. To identify the potential infection markers of this disease, 2-DE and Western blot methods were employed to study the parasite circulating antigens and host-specific proteins in the sera of T. gondii-infected individuals. The comparisons were made between serum protein profiles of infected (n=31) and normal (n=10) subjects. Antigenic proteins were identified by immunoblotting using pooled sera and monoclonal anti-human IgM-HRP. Selected protein spots were characterised using mass spectrometry. Prominent differences were observed when serum samples of T. gondii-infected individuals and normal controls were compared. A significant up-regulation of host-specific proteins, α(2)-HS glycoprotein and α(1)-B glycoprotein, was also observed in the silver-stained gels of both active and chronic infections. However, only α(2)-HS glycoprotein and α(1)-B glycoprotein in the active infection showed immunoreactivity in Western blots. In addition, three spots of T. gondii proteins were detected, namely (i) hypothetical protein chrXII: 3984434-3 TGME 49, (ii) dual specificity protein phosphatase, catalytic domain TGME 49 and (iii) NADPH-cytochrome p450 reductase TGME 49. Thus, 2-DE approach followed by Western blotting has enabled the identification of five potential infection markers for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis: three are parasite-specific proteins and two are host-specific proteins.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yeng
authors.forename: Emelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Osman
authors.forename: Zeehaida
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: Rahmah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Noordin
mesh_terms: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002908:Chronic Disease; D030562:Databases, Protein; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D045384:Pregnancy-Associated alpha 2-Macroglobulins / Q000032:analysis; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D001798:Blood Proteins; D045384:Pregnancy-Associated alpha 2-Macroglobulins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins