TsPKA-r: a potential immunodiagnostic antigen for the detection of porcine cysticercosis

Acta Trop. 2017 Jul:171:80-85. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.03.026. Epub 2017 Mar 28.

Abstract

Cysticercosis, caused by metacestodes of Taenia solium, has a significant soci-economic impact and is of considerable importance in public health. However, there are no specific diagnostic antigens to distinguish between T. solim and Taenia hydatigena. In the present study, cAMP-dependent protein kinase regulatory subunit (TsPKA-r), an excretory/secretary (ES) antigen of T. solium, was used to establish a specific and sensitive diagnostic tool for detection of porcine cysticercosis. The full-length sequence encoding TsPKA-r was amplified by PCR, sequenced and then identified by bioinformatics. The fusion protein with 6×His-tags was expressed in E. coli, purified by Ni Sepharose™ 6 Fast Flow and used to test reactionogenicity by immunoblotting. TsPKA-r based indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (iELISA) showed good performance in recognition of sera of pigs experimentally infected with T. solium metacestodes, with 93.88% sensitivity and 96.40% specificity. There were no cross-reactions against the sera from pigs experimentally infected with T. hydatigena, Toxoplasma gondii or Trichinella spiralis. These results indicate that the TsPKA-r is a promising immunodiagnostic antigen for detection of porcine cysticercosis.

Keywords: Immunodiagnostic antigens; T. solium; TsPKA-r; iELISA.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Helminth / blood
  • Antigens, Helminth / immunology*
  • Cross Reactions
  • Cysticercosis / diagnosis
  • Cysticercosis / immunology
  • Cysticercosis / veterinary*
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / methods
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / veterinary*
  • Escherichia coli
  • Immunoblotting
  • Immunologic Tests
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Swine
  • Swine Diseases / diagnosis
  • Swine Diseases / immunology
  • Swine Diseases / parasitology*
  • Taenia solium

Substances

  • Antibodies, Helminth
  • Antigens, Helminth