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Lopes-Luz L, Saavedra DP, Fogaça MBT, Bührer-Sékula S, Stefani MMDA. Challenges and advances in serological and molecular tests to aid leprosy diagnosis. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2023; 248:2083-2094. [PMID: 38059475 PMCID: PMC10800132 DOI: 10.1177/15353702231209422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Leprosy is a neglected chronic infectious disease caused by obligate intracellular bacilli, Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Despite multidrug therapy (MDT) success, leprosy accounts for more than 200,000 new cases yearly. Leprosy diagnosis remains based on the dermato-neurologic examination, but histopathology of skin biopsy and bacilloscopy of intradermal scraping are subsidiary diagnostic tests that require expertise and laboratory infrastructure. This minireview summarizes the state of the art of serologic tests to aid leprosy diagnosis, highlighting enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and point-of-care tests (POCT) biotechnologies. Also, the impact of the postgenomic era on the description of new recombinantly expressed M. leprae-specific protein antigens, such as leprosy Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) diagnostic (LID)-1 is summarized. Highly specific and sensitive molecular techniques to detect M. leprae DNA as the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) are briefly reviewed. Serology studies using phenolic glycolipid-I (PGL-I) semi-synthetic antigens, LID-1 fusion antigen, and the single fusion complex natural disaccharide-octyl (NDO)-LID show high sensitivity in multibacillary (MB) patients. However, serology is not applicable to paucibacillary patients, as they have weak humoral response and robust cell-mediated response, requiring tests for cellular biomarkers. Unlike ELISA-based tests, leprosy-specific POCT based on semi-synthetic PGL-I antigens and NDO-LID 1 antigen is easy to perform, cheaper, equipment-free, and can contribute to early diagnosis avoiding permanent incapacities and helping to interrupt M. leprae transmission. Besides its use to help diagnosis of household contacts or at-risk populations in endemic areas, potential applications of leprosy serology include monitoring MDT efficacy, identification of recent infection, especially in young children, as surrogate markers of disease progression to orient adult chemoprophylaxis and as a predictor of type 2 leprosy reactions. Advances in molecular biology techniques have reduced the complexity and execution time of qPCR confirming its utility to help diagnosis while leprosy-specific LAMP holds promise as an adjunct test to detect M. leprae DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Lopes-Luz
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Produção de Testes Rápidos, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia 74605-050, Brasil
- Innovation Hub in Point of Care Technologies, UFG-Merck S/A. Alliance, Goiânia 74690-900, Brasil
| | - Djairo Pastor Saavedra
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Produção de Testes Rápidos, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia 74605-050, Brasil
- Innovation Hub in Point of Care Technologies, UFG-Merck S/A. Alliance, Goiânia 74690-900, Brasil
| | - Matheus Bernardes Torres Fogaça
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Produção de Testes Rápidos, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia 74605-050, Brasil
- Innovation Hub in Point of Care Technologies, UFG-Merck S/A. Alliance, Goiânia 74690-900, Brasil
| | - Samira Bührer-Sékula
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Produção de Testes Rápidos, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia 74605-050, Brasil
- Innovation Hub in Point of Care Technologies, UFG-Merck S/A. Alliance, Goiânia 74690-900, Brasil
| | - Mariane Martins de Araújo Stefani
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Produção de Testes Rápidos, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia 74605-050, Brasil
- Innovation Hub in Point of Care Technologies, UFG-Merck S/A. Alliance, Goiânia 74690-900, Brasil
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ML Flow serological test: complementary tool in leprosy. An Bras Dermatol 2023; 98:331-338. [PMID: 36890048 PMCID: PMC10173075 DOI: 10.1016/j.abd.2022.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The evaluation of household contacts of leprosy cases allows the early diagnosis of new cases. OBJECTIVE To associate the results of the ML Flow test with the clinical characteristics of leprosy cases and to verify their positivity in household contacts, in addition to describing the epidemiological profile of both. METHODS Prospective study with patients diagnosed over the course of one year (n = 26), without prior treatment, and their household contacts (n = 44) in six municipalities in northwestern São Paulo, Brazil. RESULTS There was a predominance of men among the leprosy cases, of 61.5% (16/26); 77% (20/26) were over 35 years old; 86.4% (22/26) were multibacillary; 61.5% (16/26) had a positive bacilloscopy; and 65.4% (17/26) had no physical disability. The ML Flow test was positive in 53.8% (14/26) of the leprosy cases and was associated with those who had a positive bacilloscopy and were diagnosed as multibacillary (p-value <0.05). Among the household contacts, 52.3% (23/44) were women and aged over 35 years; 81.8% (36/44) had been vaccinated with BCG ‒ Bacillus Calmette-Guérin. The ML Flow test was positive in 27.3% (12/44) of household contacts, all of whom lived with multibacillary cases; seven lived with positive bacilloscopy cases and six with consanguineous cases. STUDY LIMITATIONS Difficulty in convincing the contacts to undergo the evaluation and collection of the clinical sample. CONCLUSION The ML Flow test, when positive in household contacts, can help the identification of cases that require more attention by the health team, as it indicates a predisposition to disease development, especially when they are household contacts of multibacillary cases, with positive bacilloscopy and consanguineous. The ML Flow test also helps in the correct clinical classification of the leprosy cases.
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Gautam S, Sharma D, Goel A, Patil SA, Bisht D. Insights into Mycobacterium leprae Proteomics and Biomarkers-An Overview. Proteomes 2021; 9:7. [PMID: 33573064 PMCID: PMC7931084 DOI: 10.3390/proteomes9010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Although leprosy is curable, the identification of biomarkers for the early diagnosis of leprosy would play a pivotal role in reducing transmission and the overall prevalence of the disease. Leprosy-specific biomarkers for diagnosis, particularly for the paucibacillary disease, are not well defined. Therefore, the identification of new biomarkers for leprosy is one of the prime themes of leprosy research. Studying Mycobacterium leprae, the causative agent of leprosy, at the proteomic level may facilitate the identification, quantification, and characterization of proteins that could be potential diagnostics or targets for drugs and can help in better understanding the pathogenesis. This review aims to shed light on the knowledge gained to understand leprosy or its pathogen employing proteomics and its role in diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakshi Gautam
- Department of Biochemistry, National JALMA Institute for Leprosy and Other Mycobacterial Diseases, Tajganj, Agra 282004, India; (S.G.); (D.S.); (S.A.P.)
- Department of Biotechnology, GLA University, NH-2, Mathura-Delhi Road, Mathura 281406, India;
| | - Devesh Sharma
- Department of Biochemistry, National JALMA Institute for Leprosy and Other Mycobacterial Diseases, Tajganj, Agra 282004, India; (S.G.); (D.S.); (S.A.P.)
| | - Anjana Goel
- Department of Biotechnology, GLA University, NH-2, Mathura-Delhi Road, Mathura 281406, India;
| | - Shripad A. Patil
- Department of Biochemistry, National JALMA Institute for Leprosy and Other Mycobacterial Diseases, Tajganj, Agra 282004, India; (S.G.); (D.S.); (S.A.P.)
| | - Deepa Bisht
- Department of Biochemistry, National JALMA Institute for Leprosy and Other Mycobacterial Diseases, Tajganj, Agra 282004, India; (S.G.); (D.S.); (S.A.P.)
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Gama RS, Leite LA, Colombo LT, Fraga LADO. Prospects for new leprosy diagnostic tools, a narrative review considering ELISA and PCR assays. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop 2020; 53:e20200197. [PMID: 33263683 PMCID: PMC7723377 DOI: 10.1590/0037-8682-0197-2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Slit skin smear and histopathological examinations are currently the main laboratory tools used to aid the diagnosis of leprosy. However, their sensitivity is low, and many cases are not detected. New methodologies have been studied to develop more accurate tests. This narrative review aims to raise attention to the results of molecular (polymerase chain reaction) and serological (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) tests applied to the diagnosis of leprosy, and to summarize the available information about the former. Original scientific articles published in indexed international journals, whose study involved aspects of the diagnosis and classification of leprosy cases or home contacts, were selected. The data were extracted independently using a standardized method that dictated the inclusion of the following information: diagnosis in Paucibacillary and Multibacillary cases and in household contacts; sample number; sample type; study design; studied variables; statistical analysis employed; main results; and limitations identified. In clinical practice, the results from molecular and serological tests are assessed separately, with moderate sensitivity and specificity. However, an integrated study of these methodologies has been suggested for greater accuracy in diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Silva Gama
- Universidade Vale do Rio Doce, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Governador Valadares, MG, Brasil
| | - Lázaro Azevedo Leite
- Universidade Vale do Rio Doce, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Governador Valadares, MG, Brasil
| | - Lívia Tavares Colombo
- Universidade Vale do Rio Doce, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Governador Valadares, MG, Brasil
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Vidal SL, De Mattos AMM, Menegati LM, Monteiro TBM, Laurindo CR, Carvalho APM, Teixeira HC, Coelho ADCO. Testes sorológicos anti-NDO-HSA, anti-LID-1 e anti- NDO-LID em contatos domiciliares de área não endêmica de hanseníase. HU REVISTA 2019. [DOI: 10.34019/1982-8047.2018.v44.25750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Introdução: Diversos fatores podem interferir no desenvolvimento da hanseníase, entre eles fatores genéticos, convívio com o caso de hanseníase e classificação operacional do caso. Testes sorológicos que avaliam a reatividade de anticorpos IgM e IgG frente a antígenos específicos para o Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) podem atuar como auxiliaresna vigilância dos contatos e/ou população de risco. Objetivo: Analisar o comportamento dos testes sorológicos anti-PGL-1 sintético (NDO-HSA), anti-LID-1 e anti-NDO-LID em área não endêmica de hanseníase e sua relação com características do caso de hanseníase. Material e métodos: Trata-se de um estudo transversal, do tipo analítico, realizado com 35 contatos domiciliares (CD) dos casos de hanseníase. A coleta de dados ocorreu no período de agosto/2016 a fevereiro/2017 por meio de visitas domiciliares. A reatividade de anticorpos IgM e IgG frente aos antígenos Natural disaccharide linked to human serum albumin via octyl (NDOHSA), Leprosy IDRI diagnostic 1 (LID-1) e Natural disaccharideoctyl - Leprosy IDRI Diagnostic 1(NDO-LID) foi avaliada por ensaio imunoenzimático (ELISA). Os dados foram exportados e analisados no software StatisticalPackage for the Social Sciences(SPSS) 24 for Windows. Resultados: Foi observada maior proporção de positividade aos testes em CD de casos multibacilares (MB),que residiam com o caso de hanseníase na época do diagnóstico e que tinham parentesco consanguíneo com o caso. Esses casos de hanseníase MB também apresentaram soropositividade frente aos antígenos testados. O valor do índice ELISA foi maior no grupo de CD de casos MB. Houve concordância moderada e significativa (K= 0,53; p< 0,0001) entre os testes anti-NDO-HSA e anti-NDO-LID, mas não foi detectada diferença entre os testes anti-NDO-HSA e anti-LID-1 (K= -0,05; p= 0,678). A correlação foi positiva entre os três antígenos, porém, entre LID-1 e NDO-HSA, não houve significância estatística (p<0,186). Conclusão: Os resultados sugerem que testes sorológicos em conjunto com as características avaliadas nos contatos domiciliares em área não endêmica de hanseníase,podem atuarcomo auxiliares na detecção de indivíduos infectados pelo M. leprae, contribuindo para vigilância dos contatos domiciliares.
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A novel integrated molecular and serological analysis method to predict new cases of leprosy amongst household contacts. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007400. [PMID: 31181059 PMCID: PMC6586366 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2018] [Revised: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Early detection of Mycobacterium leprae is a key strategy for disrupting the transmission chain of leprosy and preventing the potential onset of physical disabilities. Clinical diagnosis is essential, but some of the presented symptoms may go unnoticed, even by specialists. In areas of greater endemicity, serological and molecular tests have been performed and analyzed separately for the follow-up of household contacts, who are at high risk of developing the disease. The accuracy of these tests is still debated, and it is necessary to make them more reliable, especially for the identification of cases of leprosy between contacts. We proposed an integrated analysis of molecular and serological methods using artificial intelligence by the random forest (RF) algorithm to better diagnose and predict new cases of leprosy. Methods The study was developed in Governador Valadares, Brazil, a hyperendemic region for leprosy. A longitudinal study was performed, including new cases diagnosed in 2011 and their respective household contacts, who were followed in 2011, 2012, and 2016. All contacts were diligently evaluated by clinicians from Reference Center for Endemic Diseases (CREDEN-PES) before being classified as asymptomatic. Samples of slit skin smears (SSS) from the earlobe of the patients and household contacts were collected for quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) of 16S rRNA, and peripheral blood samples were collected for ELISA assays to detect LID-1 and ND-O-LID. Results The statistical analysis of the tests revealed sensitivity for anti-LID-1 (63.2%), anti-ND-O-LID (57.9%), qPCR SSS (36.8%), and smear microscopy (30.2%). However, the use of RF allowed for an expressive increase in sensitivity in the diagnosis of multibacillary leprosy (90.5%) and especially paucibacillary leprosy (70.6%). It is important to report that the specificity was 92.5%. Conclusion The proposed model using RF allows for the diagnosis of leprosy with high sensitivity and specificity and the early identification of new cases among household contacts. Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) that can infect cells in the skin and nerves. Despite efforts to eliminate leprosy, the number of M. leprae infected individuals who develop leprosy is still substantial in the world. The diagnosis relies mainly on clinical parameters. Histopathological and bacteriological analysis help to classify clinical forms of patients. Serology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays are claimed by health professionals as auxiliary tools, but until now these tests have been used almost exclusively in research, with minor use in leprosy reference centers throughout Brazil. Here, we tested quantitative PCR (qPCR) designed to amplify specific M. leprae targets and ELISA assays to detect antibody response to recombinant antigens (LID-1, ND-O-LID). All results were analyzed by multivariate analysis based in artificial intelligence. We chose random forest as a classification algorithm to aid in the diagnosis and the monitoring of contacts. The results allowed us to diagnose cases of leprosy with high sensitivity and specificity and the early identification of new cases among household contacts.
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Rodrigues RWDP, Ribeiro AB, Berber GDCM, Sheng L, Damazo AS. Analysis of clinical data and T helper 1/T helper 2 responses in patients with different clinical forms of leprosy. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop 2017; 50:208-215. [PMID: 28562757 DOI: 10.1590/0037-8682-0426-2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Currently, there are no laboratory tests or sensitive and specific molecular markers for the early diagnosis of leprosy. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with leprosy and investigate their immunological profile, comparing this with the type of lesion and the presence or absence of a Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination scar. METHODS: Statistical analyzes were performed by employing comparative tests (Pearson´s chi-square) to evaluate the variables in different clinical forms, considering significance at the 5% level. RESULTS: The study identified a predominance of lepromatous leprosy (26.9%) in patients aged between 34-53 years. Caucasians predominantly had borderline tuberculoid (BT) clinical forms (42%); a predominance of males with borderline lepromatous (19%) and lepromatous leprosy (26.9%) forms was observed; and the presence of BCG vaccination scars (27.5%) and lower limb nerves were more affected (38%) predominantly in the BT clinical form. Significant differences were identified, which included hypochromic lesions predominantly in the BT clinical form (24%); diffuse-type lesions predominantly in the tuberculoid (TT) clinical form (28%); ill-defined lesion border dominance in lepromatous leprosy (LL) clinical forms (30%); an irregular lesion limit predominantly in LL clinical forms (32%); and a predominant Th1 immune response in the BT clinical form (41.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of the immunological profile in leprosy patients may contribute to the more detailed diagnosis and possibly better characterization of the prognosis for these individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Wilson de Pinho Rodrigues
- Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso, Sinop, MT, Brasil.,Curso de Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Afonso Bezerra Ribeiro
- Curso de Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | | | - LeeYun Sheng
- Instituto de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso, Sinop, MT, Brasil
| | - Amilcar Sabino Damazo
- Curso de Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil.,Departamento de Ciências Básicas em Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
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Mizoguti DDF, Hungria EM, Freitas AA, Oliveira RM, Cardoso LPV, Costa MB, Sousa ALM, Duthie MS, Stefani MMA. Multibacillary leprosy patients with high and persistent serum antibodies to leprosy IDRI diagnostic-1/LID-1: higher susceptibility to develop type 2 reactions. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2016; 110:914-20. [PMID: 26560982 PMCID: PMC4660621 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760150198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Accepted: 08/21/2015] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Leprosy inflammatory episodes [type 1 (T1R) and type 2 (T2R) reactions] represent the major cause of irreversible nerve damage. Leprosy serology is known to be influenced by the patient's bacterial index (BI) with higher positivity in multibacillary patients (MB) and specific multidrug therapy (MDT) reduces antibody production. This study evaluated by ELISA antibody responses to leprosy Infectious Disease Research Institute diagnostic-1 (LID-1) fusion protein and phenolic glycolipid I (PGL-I) in 100 paired serum samples of 50 MB patients collected in the presence/absence of reactions and in nonreactional patients before/after MDT. Patients who presented T2R had a median BI of 3+, while MB patients with T1R and nonreactional patients had median BI of 2.5+ (p > 0.05). Anti-LID-1 and anti-PGL-I antibodies declined in patients diagnosed during T1R (p < 0.05). Anti-LID-1 levels waned in MB with T2R at diagnosis and nonreactional MB patients (p < 0.05). Higher anti-LID-1 levels were seen in patients with T2R at diagnosis (vs. patients with T1R at diagnosis, p = 0.008; vs. nonreactional patients, p = 0.020) and in patients with T2R during MDT (vs. nonreactional MB, p = 0.020). In MB patients, high and persistent anti-LID-1 antibody levels might be a useful tool for clinicians to predict which patients are more susceptible to develop leprosy T2R.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emerith Mayra Hungria
- Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brasil
| | - Aline Araújo Freitas
- Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brasil
| | | | | | - Mauricio Barcelos Costa
- Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brasil
| | - Ana Lúcia Maroclo Sousa
- Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brasil
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da Conceição Oliveira Coelho Fabri A, Carvalho APM, Araujo S, Goulart LR, de Mattos AMM, Teixeira HC, Goulart IMB, Duthie MS, Correa-Oliveira R, Lana FCF. Antigen-specific assessment of the immunological status of various groups in a leprosy endemic region. BMC Infect Dis 2015; 15:218. [PMID: 26021317 PMCID: PMC4448205 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-015-0962-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 05/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Serological tests can be important tools to assist in the diagnosis of leprosy and can contribute to an earlier diagnosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibody responses against phenolic glycolipid-1 (PGL-1), natural disaccharide linked to human serum albumin via an octyl (NDO-HSA), Leprosy IDRI Diagnostic-1 (LID-1) and natural disaccharide octyl--Leprosy IDRI Diagnostic-1 (NDO-LID) in leprosy patients, household contacts of patients and the general population. METHODS Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to analyze the antigen-specific antibody responses of 94 leprosy cases, 104 household contacts of cases and 2.494 individuals from the general population. RESULTS A positive correlation was observed for the antibody responses to all antigens studied. A higher proportion of seropositivity for all antigens, along with stronger magnitude of response, was observed in multibacillary (MB) leprosy patients and household contacts of MB leprosy patients compared with the levels observed in paucibacillary (PB) leprosy patients and household contacts of PB leprosy patients. A substantial and significant positive correlation was found between seropositivity and the bacterial index for the leprosy patients. Anti-PGL-1 tests were more frequently positive than anti-NDO-HSA tests among patients with all clinical forms of leprosy and among the group of household contacts. The LID-1 and NDO-LID antigens showed a greater capacity to identify household contacts and individuals from the general population infected with M. leprae. CONCLUSIONS Tests that measure the antibody responses against LID-1, NDO-LID, NDO-HSA and PGL-1 were effective tools for the detection of patients with MB leprosy. Our data indicate that the anti-LID-1 and anti-NDO-LID responses were more effective than an anti-NDO-HSA response for the identification of individuals with subclinical infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélica da Conceição Oliveira Coelho Fabri
- Department of Basic Nursing, Faculdade de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora - UFJF, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.
- Postgraduate Program in Nursing, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
| | - Ana Paula Mendes Carvalho
- Postgraduate Program in Nursing, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
| | - Sergio Araujo
- National Reference Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Leprosy - CREDESH, Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlandia - UFU, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil.
| | - Luiz Ricardo Goulart
- Institute of Genetics and Biochemistry, Universidade Federal de Uberlandia - UFU, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil.
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Ana Márcia Menezes de Mattos
- Postgraduate Program in Biological Science - Immunology and Infectious Parasitic Disease, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora - UFJF, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.
| | - Henrique Couto Teixeira
- Department of Parasitology, Microbiology and Immunology, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora - UFJF, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.
| | - Isabela Maria Bernardes Goulart
- National Reference Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Leprosy - CREDESH, Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlandia - UFU, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil.
| | | | - Rodrigo Correa-Oliveira
- Postgraduate Program in Nursing, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou - CPqRR, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Immunology, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto - UFOP, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil.
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Doenças Tropicais - INCT-DT, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
| | - Francisco Carlos Félix Lana
- Postgraduate Program in Nursing, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
- Department of Maternal and Child Nursing and Public Health, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
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Lastória JC, Abreu MAMMD. Leprosy: a review of laboratory and therapeutic aspects--part 2. An Bras Dermatol 2014; 89:389-401. [PMID: 24937811 PMCID: PMC4056695 DOI: 10.1590/abd1806-4841.20142460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2013] [Accepted: 04/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Leprosy is a chronic infectious condition caused by Mycobacterium
leprae(M. leprae). It is endemic in many regions of the world and a
public health problem in Brazil. Additionally, it presents a wide spectrum of
clinical manifestations, which are dependent on the interaction between M.
leprae and host, and are related to the degree of immunity to the bacillus. The
diagnosis of this disease is a clinical one. However, in some situations
laboratory exams are necessary to confirm the diagnosis of leprosy or classify
its clinical form. This article aims to update dermatologists on leprosy,
through a review of complementary laboratory techniques that can be employed for
the diagnosis of leprosy, including Mitsuda intradermal reaction, skin smear
microscopy, histopathology, serology, immunohistochemistry, polymerase chain
reaction, imaging tests, electromyography, and blood tests. It also aims to
explain standard multidrug therapy regimens, the treatment of reactions and
resistant cases, immunotherapy with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine and
chemoprophylaxis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Carlos Lastória
- Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
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11
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Phage display and synthetic peptides as promising biotechnological tools for the serological diagnosis of leprosy. PLoS One 2014; 9:e106222. [PMID: 25170947 PMCID: PMC4149539 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2014] [Accepted: 07/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The diagnosis of leprosy is primarily based on clinical manifestations, and there is no widely available laboratory test for the early detection of this disease, which is caused by Mycobacterium leprae. In fact, early detection and treatment are the key elements to the successful control of leprosy. Methodology/Principal Findings Peptide ligands for antibodies from leprosy patients were selected from phage-displayed peptide libraries. Three peptide sequences expressed by reactive phage clones were chemically synthesized. Serological assays that used synthetic peptides were evaluated using serum samples from leprosy patients, household contacts (HC) of leprosy patients, tuberculosis patients and endemic controls (EC). A pool of three peptides identified 73.9% (17/23) of multibacillary (MB) leprosy patients using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). These peptides also showed some seroreactivities to the HC and EC individuals. The peptides were not reactive to rabbit polyclonal antisera against the different environmental mycobacteria. The same peptides that were conjugated to the carrier protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) induced the production of antibodies in the mice. The anti-peptide antibodies that were used in the Western blotting analysis of M. leprae crude extracts revealed a single band of approximately 30 kDa in one-dimensional electrophoresis and four 30 kDa isoforms in the two-dimensional gel. The Western blotting data indicated that the three peptides are derived from the same bacterial protein. Conclusions/Significance These new antigens may be useful in the diagnosis of MB leprosy patients. Their potentials as diagnostic reagents must be more extensively evaluated in future studies using a large panel of positive and negative sera. Furthermore, other test approaches using peptides should be assessed to increase their sensitivity and specificity in detecting leprosy patients. We have revealed evidence in support of phage-displayed peptides as promising biotechnological tools for the design of leprosy diagnostic serological assays.
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12
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de Souza MM, Netto EM, Nakatani M, Duthie MS. Utility of recombinant proteins LID-1 and PADL in screening for Mycobacterium leprae infection and leprosy. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2014; 108:495-501. [DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/tru093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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13
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Calado KLS, Magnanini MMF, Moura RSD, Gallo MEN, Bührer-Sékula S, Oliveira MLWDRD. Serology with ML Flow test in health professionals from three different states of Brazil. An Bras Dermatol 2014; 88:918-23. [PMID: 24474100 PMCID: PMC3900342 DOI: 10.1590/abd1806-4841.20132139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2012] [Accepted: 01/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In highly endemic countries, transmission and sub-clinical infection of leprosy
are likely and the disease manifests itself in individuals without any known close
contact with a leprosy patient. Health workers are social contacts belonging to
the same network (the Health System) and some of them share the same social
environment (nursing assistants) as patients with known patients and / or
carriers. OBJECTIVE To identify ML Flow seropositivity among health professionals. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study using a serological survey with the ML Flow
test in 450 health professionals (doctors, nurses and nursing assistants), in
order to detect seropositivity in areas of high and low endemicity in
municipalities from three Brazilian states (RJ, MS and RS). RESULTS The results showed general 16% seropositivity, higher in low endemic areas,
regardless of whether there was direct care for leprosy patients. Paradoxically, a
statistical association was observed between the area studied and seropositivity,
as the place with the lowest endemicity (CA) had the highest seropositivity rate
(p = 0.033). CONCLUSION The authors suggest these results are associated with a presence of an
unspecified link to bovine serum albumin (BSA), carrier of PGL-1 in the ML Flow
test, and recommend expanded seroepidemiological research utilizing tests with
human and bovine albumin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla Lucena Sampaio Calado
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de JaneiroRJ, Brazil, Master's in Dermatology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) - Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Federal University of Grande Dourados (UFGD). PhD in Tropical Medicine from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) - Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil
| | - Mônica Maria Ferreira Magnanini
- Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de JaneiroRJ, Brazil, PhD in Public Health from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ). Statistics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) - Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Scaliante de Moura
- Federal University of Goiás, GoiâniaGO, Brazil, Biomedical doctor. Master's in Tropical Medicine, Federal University of Goiás (UFG) - Goiânia (GO), Brazil
| | - Maria Eugenia Noviski Gallo
- Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de JaneiroRJ, Brazil, PhD in Tropical Medicine from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ). Professor at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) - Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil
| | - Samira Bührer-Sékula
- Universiteit van Amsterdam, Netherlands, Netherlands, PhD in Immunology from the Universiteit van Amsterdam, Netherlands - Collaborating Professor at the Federal University of Goiás (UFG) - Goiânia (GO), Brazil
| | - Maria Leide Wand-Del-Rey de Oliveira
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de JaneiroRJ, Brazil, PhD in Dermatology from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)-Federal Adjuct Professor, University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil
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14
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Alban SM, de Moura JF, Minozzo JC, Mira MT, Soccol VT. Identification of mimotopes of Mycobacterium leprae as potential diagnostic reagents. BMC Infect Dis 2013; 13:42. [PMID: 23351151 PMCID: PMC3585472 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-13-42] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2012] [Accepted: 01/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND An early diagnostic test for detecting infection in leprosy is fundamental for reducing patients' sequelae. The currently used lepromin is not adequate for disease diagnosis and, so far, no antigen to be used in intradermoreaction has proved to be sensitive and specific for that purpose. Aiming at identifying new reagents to be used in skin tests, candidate antigens were investigated. METHODS Random peptide phage display libraries were screened by using antibodies from leprosy patients in order to identify peptides as diagnostic reagents. RESULTS Seven different phage clones were identified using purified antibodies pooled from sera of leprosy patients. When the clones were tested with serum samples by ELISA, three of them, 5A, 6A and 1B, allowed detecting a larger number of leprosy patients when compared to controls. The corresponding peptides expressed by selected phage clones were chemically synthesized. A pilot study was undertaken to assess the use of peptides in skin tests. The intradermal challenge with peptides in animals previously sensitized with Mycobacterium leprae induced a delayed-type hypersensitivity with peptide 5A (2/5) and peptide 1B (1/5). In positive controls, there was a 3/5 reactivity for lepromin and a 4/5 reactivity of the sensitized animals with soluble extract of M. leprae. CONCLUSIONS The preliminary data suggest that may be possible to develop reagents with diagnostic potential based on peptide mimotopes selected by phage display using polyclonal human antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvana M Alban
- Engenharia de Bioprocessos e Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba 81531-990, Brasil
| | | | - João Carlos Minozzo
- Centro de Produção e Pesquisa de Imunobiológicos, Secretária de Saúde do Estado do Paraná, Piraquara, 83302-160, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Távora Mira
- Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Curitiba, 80215-901, Brazil
| | - Vanete Thomaz Soccol
- Engenharia de Bioprocessos e Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba 81531-990, Brasil
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15
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Al-Mubarak R, Vander Heiden J, Broeckling CD, Balagon M, Brennan PJ, Vissa VD. Serum metabolomics reveals higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids in lepromatous leprosy: potential markers for susceptibility and pathogenesis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2011; 5:e1303. [PMID: 21909445 PMCID: PMC3167790 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2011] [Accepted: 07/20/2011] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leprosy is a disease of the skin and peripheral nervous system caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. The clinical presentations of leprosy are spectral, with the severity of disease determined by the balance between the cellular and humoral immune response of the host. The exact mechanisms that facilitate disease susceptibility, onset and progression to certain clinical phenotypes are presently unclear. Various studies have examined lipid metabolism in leprosy, but there has been limited work using whole metabolite profiles to distinguish the clinical forms of leprosy. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In this study we adopted a metabolomics approach using high mass accuracy ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) to investigate the circulatory biomarkers in newly diagnosed untreated leprosy patients. Sera from patients having bacterial indices (BI) below 1 or above 4 were selected, subjected to UPLC-MS, and then analyzed for biomarkers which distinguish the polar presentations of leprosy. We found significant increases in the abundance of certain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and phospholipids in the high-BI patients, when contrasted with the levels in the low-BI patients. In particular, the median values of arachidonic acid (2-fold increase), eicosapentaenoic acid (2.6-fold increase) and docosahexaenoic acid (1.6-fold increase) were found to be greater in the high-BI patients. SIGNIFICANCE Eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid are known to exert anti-inflammatory properties, while arachidonic acid has been reported to have both pro- and anti-inflammatory activities. The observed increase in the levels of several lipids in high-BI patients may provide novel clues regarding the biological pathways involved in the immunomodulation of leprosy. Furthermore, these results may lead to the discovery of biomarkers that can be used to investigate susceptibility to infection, facilitate early diagnosis and monitor the progression of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reem Al-Mubarak
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Jason Vander Heiden
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Corey D. Broeckling
- Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Marivic Balagon
- Leonard Wood Memorial Center for Leprosy Research, Cebu, Philippines
| | - Patrick J. Brennan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Varalakshmi D. Vissa
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Sampaio LH, Stefani MMA, Oliveira RM, Sousa ALM, Ireton GC, Reed SG, Duthie MS. Immunologically reactive M. leprae antigens with relevance to diagnosis and vaccine development. BMC Infect Dis 2011; 11:26. [PMID: 21269435 PMCID: PMC3040138 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-11-26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2010] [Accepted: 01/26/2011] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae that can manifest a wide variety of immunological and clinical outcomes ranging from potent humoral responses among borderline lepromatous (BL) and lepromatous (LL) patients to strong cellular responses among tuberculoid (TT) and borderline tuberculoid (BT) patients. Until recently, relatively little has been known about the immune responses to individual proteins of M. leprae recognized during leprosy. METHODS The immune reactivity to a panel of 33 M. leprae recombinant proteins was evaluated among leprosy patients and controls from a high endemic area for leprosy (Goiania/GO, Central Brazil). Serum IgG responses were measured by ELISA (45 participants/group) and T cell responses (20 participants/group) were evaluated by IFN-gamma production in 24 hours whole blood cultures with antigen (whole blood assay-WBA). Study groups were newly diagnosed, untreated TT/BT and BL/LL leprosy patients classified by Ridley Jopling criteria and household contacts of BL/LL patients (HHC). Control groups were HIV-1 negative pulmonary tuberculosis patients (TB) and healthy individuals from the same endemic area (EC). In silico predictions indicated the level of identity of M. leprae proteins with homologues in other mycobacteria and the presence of T cell and B cell epitopes. RESULTS Despite the prediction that all proteins would be reactive, 16 of 33 (48%) of the single proteins tested were immunogenic (recognized in WBA or ELISA) and seventeen were non-immunogenic (not recognized in either assay). Among the 16 immunogenic proteins, 9 were considered leprosy specific in WBA inducing cell-mediated IFN-gamma secretion from TT/BT patients and HHC. Three of these proteins were also leprosy specific in serology being recognized by serum IgG from LL/BL patients. Seven of the immunogenic proteins were not leprosy specific. CONCLUSIONS New M. leprae antigens recognized by antibody responses of BL/LL patients and cellular responses of TT/BT leprosy patients were identified. An improved serological diagnostic test for leprosy could be developed by incorporating these IgG-reactive antigens to the current PGL-I based tests. Moreover our data indicate that the WBA is a robust, relatively simple and user friendly format for a T cell based diagnostic test. The field use of these test formats in leprosy endemic countries could contribute to early leprosy diagnosis before the development of deformities and disabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas H Sampaio
- Tropical Pathology and Public Health Institute, Federal University of Goiás, Rua 235 esquina com 1a Avenida, Setor Universitário, sala 335, Goiânia, GO, 74605050, Brazil
| | - Mariane MA Stefani
- Tropical Pathology and Public Health Institute, Federal University of Goiás, Rua 235 esquina com 1a Avenida, Setor Universitário, sala 335, Goiânia, GO, 74605050, Brazil
| | - Regiane M Oliveira
- Tropical Pathology and Public Health Institute, Federal University of Goiás, Rua 235 esquina com 1a Avenida, Setor Universitário, sala 335, Goiânia, GO, 74605050, Brazil
| | - Ana LM Sousa
- Tropical Pathology and Public Health Institute, Federal University of Goiás, Rua 235 esquina com 1a Avenida, Setor Universitário, sala 335, Goiânia, GO, 74605050, Brazil
| | - Greg C Ireton
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, 1124 Columbia St, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
| | - Steven G Reed
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, 1124 Columbia St, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
| | - Malcolm S Duthie
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, 1124 Columbia St, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
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