title: Evaluation of Antigens for Development of a Serological Test for Human African Trypanosomiasis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Control and elimination of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) can be accelerated through the use of diagnostic tests that are more accurate and easier to deploy. The goal of this work was to evaluate the immuno-reactivity of antigens and identify candidates to be considered for development of a simple serological test for the detection of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense or T. b. rhodesiense infections, ideally both.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The reactivity of 35 antigens was independently evaluated by slot blot and ELISA against sera from both T. b. gambiense and T. b. rhodesiense infected patients and controls. The antigens that were most reactive by both tests to T. b. gambiense sera were the membrane proteins VSG LiTat 1.3, VSG LiTat 1.5 and ISG64. Reactivity to T. b. rhodesiense sera was highest with VSG LiTat 1.3, VSG LiTat 1.5 and SRA, although much lower than with T. b. gambiense samples. The reactivity of all possible combinations of antigens was also calculated. When the slot blot results of 2 antigens were paired, a VSG LiTat 1.3- ISG75 combination performed best on T. b. gambiense sera, while a VSG LiTat 1.3-VSG LiTat 1.5 combination was the most reactive using ELISA. A combination of SRA and either VSG LiTat 1.3 or VSG LiTat 1.5 had the highest reactivity on T. b. rhodesiense sera according to slot blot, while in ELISA, pairing SRA with either GM6 or VSG LiTat 1.3 yielded the best results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study identified antigens that were highly reactive to T. b. gambiense sera, which could be considered for developing a serological test for gambiense HAT, either individually or in combination. Antigens with potential for inclusion in a test for T. b. rhodesiense HAT were also identified, but because their reactivity was comparatively lower, a search for additional antigens would be required before developing a test for this form of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Biéler
authors.affiliation: Microcoat Biotechnologie GmbH, Bernried, Germany.
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Waltenberger
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McCulloch
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jeremy C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Mottram
authors.affiliation: University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carrington
authors.affiliation: University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Wilhelm
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schwaeble
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McKerrow
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Margaret A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.affiliation: Christian de Duve Institute, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Michels
authors.affiliation: Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Büscher
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Proteomics Research Group, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jean-Charles
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.affiliation: International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.affiliation: CNRS UMR-5234, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Derrick R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bangs
authors.affiliation: University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.affiliation: University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland / Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nerima
authors.affiliation: Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albertini
authors.affiliation: Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.affiliation: Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Radwandska
authors.affiliation: Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Joseph Mathu
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ndung'u
mesh_terms: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M