title: Use of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay that utilizes the Tc13Tul antigen of Trypanosoma cruzi to monitor patients after treatment with benznidazole.
abstract: Tc13Tul antigen is expressed in the mammalian stages of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas' disease. Here, we designed and validated an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using the recombinant Tc13Tul (Tc13Tul-ELISA) and found that it had 82.5% sensitivity and 97.05% of specificity. To evaluate whether the decrease in antibodies against Tc13Tul may be used as an early marker of the effect of chemotherapy with benznidazole, sera from 30 T. cruzi-infected children were evaluated by Tc13Tul-ELISA before and after benznidazole treatment. While in Group A (6 months-4 years old, n = 16) the decrease of more than 30% of Tc13Tul-ELISA values showed a sensitivity similar to that of conventional serology (CS); in Group B, (5-12 years old, n = 14) the decrease of Tc13Tul-ELISA values was a better parameter than negativization of CS to monitor the impact of treatment. Therefore, the dosage of anti-Tc13Tul antibodies may be useful as a methodology complementary to CS to evaluate chagasic patients undergoing chemotherapy with benznidazole.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben-ANLIS Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán, Paseo Colón 568, Buenos Aires (1063), Argentina.
authors.forename: Ana Lorena
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Santamaría
authors.forename: Ana María
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: De Rissio
authors.forename: Adelina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Riarte
authors.forename: Patricia Andrea
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Garavaglia
authors.forename: Andrea Cecilia
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Bruballa
authors.forename: Marcelo Adrián
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Lucía Elvira
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Irazu
authors.forename: Andrés Mariano
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: Gabriela Andrea
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: García
mesh_terms: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009593:Nitroimidazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D009593:Nitroimidazoles; C009999:benzonidazole