Succinyl-CoA Synthetase: New Antigen Candidate of Bartonella bacilliformis

• Published in: PLoS neglected tropical diseases Vol. 10; no. 9; p. e0004989
• Main Authors: Gomes, Cláudia, Palma, Noemí, Pons, Maria J, Magallón-Tejada, Ariel, Sandoval, Isabel, Tinco-Valdez, Carmen, Gutarra, Carlos, Del Valle-Mendoza, Juana, Ruiz, Joaquim, Matsuoka, Mayumi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 14.09.2016; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Amino acids; Analysis; Animals; Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Antigens; Antigens, Bacterial - genetics; Antigens, Bacterial - immunology; Antígens bacterians; Bacterial antigens; Bacterial diseases; Bartonella bacilliformis - immunology; Bartonella Infections - immunology; Bartonella Infections - microbiology; Bartonellosis; Biology and Life Sciences; Blotting, Western; Candidates; Cercopithecus aethiops; Child; Child, Preschool; Diagnosis; Diagnostic tests; Disease; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Health aspects; Hospitals; Humans; Illnesses; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Immunoglobulin M - blood; Immunoglobulins; Infant; Infections; Malalties bacterianes; Male; Medical research; Medicine and Health Sciences; Middle Aged; Mortality; Paisatge rural; Peru; Polymerase chain reaction; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Research and Analysis Methods; Risk factors; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; Rural areas; Rural landscape; Succinate-CoA Ligases - genetics; Succinate-CoA Ligases - immunology; Tropical diseases; Vero Cells; Young Adult; Peru
• ISSN: 1935-2735; 1935-2727; 1935-2735
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004989

Bartonella bacilliformis is the causative agent of Carrion's disease, a neglected illness with mortality rates of 40-85% in the absence of treatment. The lack of a diagnostic technique to overcome misdiagnosis and treat asymptomatic carriers is of note. This study aimed to identify new B. bacilliformis antigenic candidates that could lead to a new diagnostic tool able to be implemented in endemic rural areas. Blood (n = 198) and serum (n = 177) samples were collected in northern Peru. Clinical data were recorded. Specific 16S rRNA amplification by RT-PCR, IFA and ELISA for IgM/IgG with whole cells as antigens was done. Western blot analysis and N-terminal amino acid sequencing detected seroreactive proteins. ELISAs for IgM/IgG for the antigenic candidates were performed. Of the population 33.3% reported at least one symptom compatible with Carrion's disease; 25.4% (IFA), 27.1% (ELISA-IgG), 33.9% (ELISA-IgM) and 38.9% (RT-PCR) of samples were positive. Four proteins were considered potential antigenic candidates, including two new antigenic candidates, succinyl-CoA synthetase subunit α (SCS-α) and succinyl-CoA synthetase subunit β (SCS-β). On Western blot both Pap31 and SCS-α interacted with IgM, while GroEL and SCS-β interacted with IgG. The presence of specific antibodies against the antigenic candidates varied from 34.5% (IgG against SCS-α) to 97.2% (IgM against Pap31). RT-PCR and the high levels of positivity for specific ELISAs demonstrate high levels of B. bacilliformis exposure and asymptomatic carriers among inhabitants. The new antigens identified might be used as a new rapid diagnostic tool to diagnose acute Carrion's disease and identify asymptomatic carriers.