Validación de un nuevo antígeno recombinante para el diagnóstico y seguimiento de pacientes con hidatidosis y su aplicación a un test comercial

Abstract

VALIDATION OF A NEW RECOMBINANT ANTIGEN FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND MONITORING OF CYSTIC ECHINOCOCCOSIS PATIENTS AND ITS USE IN A COMMERCIAL TEST. Based on previous results obtained with recombinant B2t in the diagnosis of patients with cystic echinococcosis, here the new recombinant derivatives are obtained (2B2t, 4B2t and 8B2t). The 2B2t was the best in terms of production and diagnostic efficiency in ELISA for the detection of serum IgG. This new antigen was compared with other techniques routinely used as the ELISA with hydatid fluid antigen (HF) and a commercial hemagglutination test, improving the results obtained by these two tests. The results of all tests depend on the patient's clinical variables, indicating that the definition of the diagnostic value of any serological test will require an assessment of these variables. A direct correlation exists between parasitic activity, the number of cysts and the application of treatment, and the positive results against the HF and the recombinant antigens 2B2t and B2t. B2t and 2B2t antigens were also useful in monitoring patients after surgery or an aspiration technique. In patients after drug treatment, the decline of specific antibodies against the recombinants is useful to determine healing if accompanied by an imaging technique. For patients in watch and wait, the serodiagnosis with these recombinants is not useful to define cure. The 2B2t was applied to immunochromatographic strips, ending up in a commercial product for the diagnosis of cystic echinococcosis that is cheap, easy to perform and the most efficient diagnostic tool tested during this thesis, with potential to be also used in monitoring patients. The application of polyclonal antibodies against B2t in the same format allows the detection of Echinococcus antigen B, making it applicable to the differential diagnosis of cystic lesions. KEYWORDS: cystic echinococcosis, serodiagnosis, recombinant antigen.