ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Leishmaniasis- a neglected public health problem- is a group of diseases affecting an estimated 12 million people worldwide. OBJECTIVE: In the present study, recombinant Leishmania major superoxide dismutase B1 (rLmSODB1) has been utilized as a potential antigen for the serodiagnosis of human cutaneous (CL) and visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the endemic regions of southern part of Iran. Additionally, the sensitivity and specificity of ELISA-based serodiagnosis using rLmSODB1 and the soluble Leishmania antigen (SLA) were compared. METHODS: For the first time, rLmSODB1 has been cloned successfully and used for ELISA-based serodiagnosis. Sera from 30 CL and 24 VL cases were included in this study. Additional studies were also done for the evaluation of cross-reactivity using sera from 41 endemic controls including normal endemic donors (n=20), systemic lupus erythematosus patients (n=5), rheumatoid arthritis patients (n=5), and patients with tuberculosis (n=11). RESULTS: Analysis indicated that rLmSODB1 was recognized by 62.5% and 13.3% of sera from patients with VL and CL, showing a sensitivity of 72.7% and 53.6%, respectively. However 95.8% of VL and 30% of CL sera reacted with SLA, revealing sensitivities of 96% and 58.8%, respectively. Additionally, from 41 sera collected either from healthy subjects or patients affected with other diseases, 97.5% were negative with SLA or rLmSODB1 (specificity 97.6%). CONCLUSION: These results show that rLmSODB1 almost does not react with sera from patients with tuberculosis and autoimmune diseases and may be considered as a candidate antigen for the specific immunodiagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis.
Subject(s)
Antigens, Protozoan/immunology , Leishmania major/enzymology , Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous/diagnosis , Leishmaniasis, Visceral/diagnosis , Superoxide Dismutase/immunology , Amino Acid Sequence , Antibodies, Protozoan/blood , Antigens, Protozoan/biosynthesis , Antigens, Protozoan/genetics , Cloning, Molecular , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Humans , Iran , Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous/immunology , Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous/parasitology , Leishmaniasis, Visceral/immunology , Leishmaniasis, Visceral/parasitology , Molecular Sequence Data , Sensitivity and Specificity , Sequence Alignment , Serologic Tests/methods , Superoxide Dismutase/biosynthesis , Superoxide Dismutase/geneticsABSTRACT
Herpes simplex virus produces primary and latent infections with periodic recurrency. The prime-boost immunization strategies were studied using a DNA vaccine carrying the full-length glycoprotein D-1 gene and a baculovirus-derived recombinant glycoprotein D, both expressing herpes simplex virus glycoprotein D-1 protein. Immunization with recombinant DNAs encoding antigenic proteins could induce cellular and humoral responses by providing antigen expression in vivo. Higher immune response, however, occurred when the recombinant proteins followed DNA inoculation. While all groups of the immunized mice and positive control group could resist virus challenge, a higher virus neutralizing antibody level was detected in the animals receiving recombinant protein following DNA vaccination.
