Chimeric peptide constructs comprising linear B-cell epitopes: application to the serodiagnosis of infectious diseases.

ABSTRACT: Linear B-cell epitopes are ideal biomarkers for the serodiagnosis of infectious diseases. However, the long-predicted diagnostic value of epitopes has not been realized. Here, we demonstrated a method, diagnostic epitopes in four steps (DEIFS), that delivers a combination of epitopes for the serodiagnosis of infectious diseases with a high success rate. Using DEIFS for malaria, we identified 6 epitopes from 8 peptides and combined them into 3 chimeric peptide constructs. Along with 4 other peptides, we developed a rapid diagnostic test (RDT), which is able to differentiate Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) from Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) infections with 95.6% overall sensitivity and 99.1% overall specificity. In addition to applications in diagnosis, DEIFS could also be used in the di

SUBMITTER: Lu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4543967 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature