title: Improving serodiagnosis of human and canine leishmaniasis with recombinant Leishmania braziliensis cathepsin l-like protein and a synthetic peptide containing its linear B-cell epitope.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The early and correct diagnosis of human leishmaniasis is essential for disease treatment. Another important step in the control of visceral leishmaniasis is the identification of infected dogs, which are the main domestic reservoir of L. infantum. Recombinant proteins and synthetic peptides based on Leishmania genes have emerged as valuable targets for serodiagnosis due to their increased sensitivity, specificity and potential for standardization. Cathepsin L-like genes are surface antigens that are secreted by amastigotes and have little similarity to host proteins, factors that enable this protein as a good target for serodiagnosis of the leishmaniasis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We mapped a linear B-cell epitope within the Cathepsin L-like protein from L. braziliensis. A synthetic peptide containing the epitope and the recombinant protein was evaluated for serodiagnosis of human tegumentary and visceral leishmaniasis, as well as canine visceral leishmaniasis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The recombinant protein performed best for human tegumentary and canine visceral leishmaniasis, with 96.30% and 89.33% accuracy, respectively. The synthetic peptide was the best to discriminate human visceral leishmaniasis, with 97.14% specificity, 94.55% sensitivity and 96.00% accuracy. Comparison with T. cruzi-infected humans and dogs suggests that the identified epitope is specific to Leishmania parasites, which minimizes the likelihood of cross-reactions.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Menezes-Souza
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tiago Antônio de Oliveira
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Genética e Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Patos de Minas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Matheus de Souza
authors.initials: Mde S
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniella Castanheira
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Bartholomeu
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo Toshio
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000276:immunology*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007892:Leishmania braziliensis / Q000378:metabolism*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D010455:Peptides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D002403:Cathepsins