title: Development and Application of an ELISA Assay Using Excretion/Secretion Proteins from Epimastigote Forms of T. cruzi (ESEA Antigens) for the Diagnosis of Chagas Disease.
abstract: An indirect enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) for Trypanosoma cruzi was developed using epimastigote secretion/excretion proteins (ESEA antigens) obtained from axenic culture supernatants. A panel of 120 serum samples from subjects with confirmed Chagas disease (n = 50), healthy controls (n = 50), and patients with other parasitic diseases (n = 20) was used to evaluate the new ESEA-based ELISA (ELISA(ESEA)). This new test had excellent sensitivity (98%) and acceptable specificity (88%). Cross-reactivity was observed largely in sera from subjects with Leishmania and Ascaris infections. Using Western blotting and epimastigotes from two distinct T. cruzi isolates, several polypeptide bands with molecular masses ranging from 50 to 220 kDa were detected in pooled chagasic sera. However, the band pattern for each isolate was different. These data suggest that an inexpensive and technically simple ELISA based on ESEA antigens is a promising new tool for the diagnosis of Chagas disease.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Diagnóstico Serológico en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Postgrado en Biología Aplicada, Universidad de Oriente, Núcleo de Sucre, Cumana 6101, Venezuela ; Instituto de Biomedicina y Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad de Oriente, Núcleo de Sucre, Cumana 6101, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Mariolga
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berrizbeitia
authors.forename: Milagros
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Figueroa
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Jessicca
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jorquera
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Figuera
authors.forename: Leomerys
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.forename: Momar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ndao