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ABSTRACT: Background
Enteropathogenic and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EPEC/EHEC) are human intestinal pathogens responsible for diarrhea in both developing and industrialized countries. In research laboratories, EPEC and EHEC are defined on the basis of their pathogenic features; nevertheless, their identification in routine laboratories is expensive and laborious. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to develop a rapid and simple assay for EPEC/EHEC detection. Accordingly, the EPEC/EHEC-secreted proteins EspA and EspB were chosen as target antigens.Methodology
First, we investigated the ideal conditions for EspA/EspB production/secretion by ELISA in a collection of EPEC/EHEC strains after cultivating bacterial isolates in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) or DMEM containing 1% tryptone or HEp-2 cells-preconditioned DMEM, employing either anti-EspA/anti-EspB polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies developed and characterized herein. Subsequently, a rapid agglutination latex test (RALT) was developed and tested with the same collection of bacterial isolates.Principal findings
EspB was defined as a biomarker and its corresponding monoclonal antibody as the tool for EPEC/EHEC diagnosis; the production of EspB was better in DMEM medium. RALT assay has the sensitivity and specificity required for high-impact diagnosis of neglected diseases in the developing world.Conclusion
RALT assay described herein can be considered an alternative assay for diarrhea diagnosis in low-income countries since it achieved 97% sensitivity, 98% specificity and 97% efficiency.
SUBMITTER: Rocha LB
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4177769 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Rocha Letícia B LB Santos Anna R R AR Munhoz Danielle D DD Cardoso Lucas T A LT Luz Daniela E DE Andrade Fernanda B FB Horton Denise S P Q DS Elias Waldir P WP Piazza Roxane M F RM
PLoS neglected tropical diseases 20140925 9
<h4>Background</h4>Enteropathogenic and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EPEC/EHEC) are human intestinal pathogens responsible for diarrhea in both developing and industrialized countries. In research laboratories, EPEC and EHEC are defined on the basis of their pathogenic features; nevertheless, their identification in routine laboratories is expensive and laborious. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to develop a rapid and simple assay for EPEC/EHEC detection. Accordingly, the EPEC/ ...[more]