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Abstract: A cathepsin B-like cysteine protease belonging to family C1 is abundantly expressed in the transcriptome and proteome of the carcinogenic liver fluke of humans, Opisthorchis viverrini. This enzyme is present in excretory/secretory (ES) products released by parasites cultured in vitro. This study evaluated the performance of recombinant O. viverrini cathepsin B1 (rOv-CB-1) as an antigen for immunodiagnosis of opisthorchiasis. The full length Ov-CB-1 cDNA was cloned and recombinant protein was produced in catalytically active form in Pichia pastoris. The recombinant Ov-CB-1 (rOv-CB-1) was affinity purified via nickel-NTA chromatography and tested in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) with human sera from an opisthorchiasis endemic area. Sera from egg-positive O. viverrini infections produced a strong IgG antibody response to rOv-CB-1 both in ELISA and immunoblot analysis. The sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA test was 67% and 81%, respectively. These findings support the feasibility of using recombinant Ov-CB-1 in ELISA for the serodiagnosis of human opisthorchiasis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Diagnosis of Opisthorchis viverrini infection by conventional stool examination is increasingly difficult due to the low intensity of the infection after several rounds of control programmes in endemic regions as well as coinfections with intestinal flukes. Therefore sensitive and specific diagnostic test is needed. In this study, a coproantigen sandwich ELISA using recombinant O. viverrini cathepsin F ( rOv- CF) was developed. This sandwich ELISA employing chicken IgY raised against rOv- CF in combination with rabbit IgG antibody to the somatic O. viverrini antigens showed a lower detection limit (LLD) of 70 ng native O. viverrini somatic antigens by spiking the parasite antigens into control feces. When applied to the diagnosis, the IgY-based sandwich ELISA exhibited sensitivity and specificity of 93.3% and 76.7%, respectively, in an investigation of 90 human cases positive or negative for opisthorchiasis. The positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for this coproantigen detection were 66.7% and 95.2%, respectively. This IgY-based sandwich ELISA using parasite cathepsin F detection shows a promising immunodiagnostic alternative for human opisthorchiasis in endemic regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]