title: A LiTat 1.5 variant surface glycoprotein-derived peptide with diagnostic potential for Trypanosoma brucei gambiense.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the accuracy of a peptide, corresponding to the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) LiTat 1.5 amino acid (AA) sequence 268-281 and identified through alignment of monoclonal antibody selected mimotopes, for diagnosis of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense sleeping sickness.
  
  
  METHODS
  A synthetic biotinylated peptide (peptide 1.5/268-281), native VSG LiTat 1.3 and VSG LiTat 1.5 were tested in an indirect ELISA with 102 sera from patients with HAT and 102 endemic HAT-negative controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The area under the curve (AUC) of peptide 1.5/268-281 was 0.954 (95% confidence interval 0.918-0.980), indicating diagnostic potential. The areas under the curve of VSG LiTat 1.3 and LiTat 1.5 were 1.000 (0.982-1.000) and 0.997 (0.973-1.000), respectively, and significantly higher than the AUC of peptide 1.5/268-281. On a model of VSG LiTat 1.5, peptide 1.5/268-281 was mapped near the top of the VSG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A biotinylated peptide corresponding to AA 268-281 of VSG LiTat 1.5 may replace the native VSG in serodiagnostic tests, but the diagnostic accuracy is lower than for the full-length native VSG LiTat 1.3 and VSG LiTat 1.5.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Liesbeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Nieuwenhove
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Büscher
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Balharbi
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Humbert
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guisez
authors.forename: Veerle
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lejon
mesh_terms: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D019540:Area Under Curve; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes; D006801:Humans; D010455:Peptides; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014347:Trypanosoma brucei gambiense / Q000276:immunology*; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014643:Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000939:Epitopes; D010455:Peptides; D014643:Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma