Use of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay that utilizes the Tc 13Tul antigen of Trypanosoma cruzi to monitor patients after treatment with benznidazole

• Published in: Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease Vol. 76; no. 2; pp. 197 - 205
• Main Authors: Santamaría, Ana Lorena, De Rissio, Ana María, Riarte, Adelina, Garavaglia, Patricia Andrea, Bruballa, Andrea Cecilia, Rodríguez, Marcelo Adrián, Irazu, Lucía Elvira, Ruiz, Andrés Mariano, García, Gabriela Andrea
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Infectious Disease; Internal Medicine; Chemotherapy; Trans-sialidase; Chagas' disease; Diagnosis
• ISSN: 0732-8893
• DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2013.02.028

Abstract Tc 13Tul antigen is expressed in the mammalian stages of Trypanosoma cruzi , the etiological agent of Chagas’ disease. Here, we designed and validated an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using the recombinant Tc 13Tul ( Tc 13Tul-ELISA) and found that it had 82.5% sensitivity and 97.05% of specificity. To evaluate whether the decrease in antibodies against Tc 13Tul may be used as an early marker of the effect of chemotherapy with benznidazole, sera from 30 T. cruzi -infected children were evaluated by Tc 13Tul-ELISA before and after benznidazole treatment. While in Group A (6 months-4 years old, n = 16) the decrease of more than 30% of Tc 13Tul-ELISA values showed a sensitivity similar to that of conventional serology (CS); in Group B, (5–12 years old, n = 14) the decrease of Tc 13Tul-ELISA values was a better parameter than negativization of CS to monitor the impact of treatment. Therefore, the dosage of anti- Tc 13Tul antibodies may be useful as a methodology complementary to CS to evaluate chagasic patients undergoing chemotherapy with benznidazole.