Anti-Trypanosoma cruzi antibody detection in eastern Andalusia (Spain).
BACKGROUND
Chagas disease caused by the protozoan haemoflagellate Trypanosoma cruzi is no longer found exclusively in Latin America; the disease is occurring in Europe, and Spain is the country with the highest prevalence.


METHODS
Our aim was to detect anti-T. cruzi antibodies in blood donors from southeast Spain, and we performed eight serological diagnostic assays on each of 550 blood samples collected in March-June 2010. Two in-house ELISA methods were used to test against a parasite lysate (ELISA-H) and the semi-purified superoxide dismutase excreted by T. cruzi (ELISA-SODe); we also used the Western blot technique against the same antigen (WB-SODe), indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) and four commercial tests.


RESULTS
The serological test results showed a range of seroprevalence values, the lowest being 1.1%, determined by IFA and two commercial tests (Ab rapid and Chagascreen); other values were: 1.3% (commercial ELISA [Chagas ELISA IgG+IgM]); 2.1% (immunochromatographic test [Stick Chagas]); 2.7% (ELISA-H); 4.0% (WB-SODe); and 4.2%, the highest value (ELISA-SODe).


CONCLUSIONS
The excellent specificity of SODe antigen for the detection of antibodies to T. cruzi in donors lead us to affirm that the serological test performed with this biomarker could provide a useful screening and confirmatory test method for cases of Chagas disease.
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Severo Ochoa s/n, E-18071 Granada, Spain.
Clotilde
C
Marín
Fanny
F
Concha-Valdez
Rocío
R
Cañas
Ramón
R
Gutiérrez-Sánchez
Manuel
M
Sánchez-Moreno
D000328:Adult; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D001782:Blood Donors; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan
Blood donors; Chagas disease; Diagnosis; Excreted superoxide dismutase; Spain; Trypanosoma cruzi