The TcTASV proteins are novel promising antigens to detect active Trypanosoma cruzi infection in dogs.

N. FLORIDIA-YAPUR; M. MONJE RUMI ; P. RAGONE; J.J. LAUTHIER; N. TOMASINI; A. ALBERTI D AMATO; P. DIOSQUE; R. CIMINO; J.D. MARCO; P. BARROSO; D.O. SANCHEZ; J.R. NASSER; V. TEKIEL

PARASITOLOGY

CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

Lugar: Cambridge; Año: 2016

0031-1820

In regions where Chagas disease is endemic, canine Trypanosoma cruzi infection is highly correlated with the risk of transmissionof the parasite to humans. Herein we evaluated the novel TcTASV protein family (subfamilies A, B, C), differentiallyexpressed in bloodstream trypomastigotes, for the detection of naturally infected dogs. A gene of each TcTASVsubfamily was cloned and expressed. Indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were developed usingrecombinant antigens individually or mixed together. Our results showed that dogs with active T. cruzi infection differentiallyreacted against the TcTASV-C subfamily. The use of both TcTASV-C plus TcTASV-A proteins (Mix A+CELISA)enhanced the reactivity of sera from dogs with active infection, detecting 94% of the evaluated samples. Thesefindings agree with our previous observations, where the infected animals exhibited a quick anti-TcTASV-C antibody response,coincident with the beginning of parasitaemia, in a murine model of the disease. Results obtained in the presentwork prove that the Mix A+C-ELISA is a specific, simple and cheap technique to be applied in endemic areas in screeningstudies. The Mix A+C-ELISA could help to differentially detect canine hosts with active infection and therefore with highimpact in the risk of transmission to humans.