03313-A: Standardization and Evaluation of the Use of LPG3 Linear Peptides Alone or in Chimera Form for the Serodiagnosis of CVL by ELISA

One Health: Yes

Abstract

Canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) is a parasitic disease transmitted by a sandfly insect vector. The dog is the main reservoir of the obligate intracellular protozoan of the genus Leishmania, the causative agent of CVL. In several regions of the world, one of the control measures to prevent the proliferation of this parasite is the euthanasia of seropositive dogs. The diagnosis of CVL is complex, given the variety and lack of specificity of clinical signs of the disease, resulting in the generation of false negative results that, consequently, harm the treatment of infected dogs. Furthermore, dogs with false positive test results are unfairly sacrificed due to an incorrect diagnosis. To control the spread of CVL, an early and accurate diagnosis of the disease is essential.

Serological tests are the most commonly used method to detect antibodies against this parasite. Recombinant Leishmania proteins have been used to improve the sensitivity and specificity of these tests. Specifically, the Lipophosphoglycan 3 protein from Leishmania chagasi, the causative agent of CVL in the New World, was recently studied by the investigators and verified as an effective target in the diagnosis of CVL by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). However, improvement in the specificity of the test is necessary. This work aims to improve the use of this antigen in CVL diagnosis by ELISA, using linear peptides (small pieces of the LPG3 protein that may be recognized by antibodies) alone or in the form of recombinant chimeric proteins, which are the result of the association of different linear peptides. The use of these peptides is expected to increase the specificity of the test formerly made using the entire LPG protein, without compromising its sensitivity, improving CVL serologic test accuracy.

Publication(s)

None at this time.