02445nas a2200397   4500000000100000008004100001260001200042653002000054653002100074653001400095653001000109653001300119653001200132100001200144700001300156700001100169700001400180700001400194700001400208700001400222700001400236700001800250700002400268700001400292700002400306700002200330700001700352700001200369700001500381700001300396700001200409245018100421490000800602520142300610022001402033       2024                            d  c03/202410aB-cell epitopes10aChimeric protein10adiagnosis10aELISA10aGenomics10aleprosy1 aAssis B1 aChaves A1 aLage D1 aCardoso M1 aFreitas C1 aPereira I1 aCâmara R1 aMartins V1 ade Oliveira A1 aMachado-de-Ávila R1 aGaldino A1 aChávez-Fumagalli M1 aChristodoulides M1 aGonçalves D1 aBueno L1 aFujiwara R1 aCoelho E1 aRocha M00aSerodiagnosis of paucibacillary and multibacillary leprosy using a recombinant chimeric protein composed of specific B-cell epitopes derived from Mycobacterium leprae proteins.0 v1473 a<p>Leprosy diagnosis is difficult due to the clinical similarity with other infectious diseases, and laboratory tests presents problems related to sensitivity and/or specificity. In this study, we used bioinformatics to assess Mycobacterium leprae proteins and formulated a chimeric protein that was tested as a diagnostic marker for the disease. The amino acid sequences from ML0008, ML0126, ML0308, ML1057, ML2028, ML2038, ML2498 proteins were evaluated, and the B-cell epitopes QASVAYPATSYADFRAHNHWWNGP, SLQRSISPNSYNTARVDP and QLLGQTADVAGAAKSGPVQPMGDRGSVSPVGQ were considered M. leprae-specific and used to construct the gene encoding the recombinant antigen. The gene was constructed, the recombinant protein was expressed, purified and tested in ELISA using 252 sera, which contained samples from multibacillary (MB) or paucibacillary (PB) leprosy patients, from their household contacts and healthy individuals, as well as from patients with Chagas disease, visceral and tegumentary leishmaniases (VL/TL), malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV. Sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) for MB and PB samples compared to sera from both healthy subjects and individuals with cross-reactive diseases were 100%. The Se value for MB and PB samples compared to sera from household contacts was 100%, but Sp was 64%. In conclusion, data suggest that this protein could be considered in future studies for leprosy diagnosis.</p>
  a1873-281X