RECOMBINANT TRYPANOSOMA-CRUZI ANTIGENS and CHAGAS-DISEASE DIAGNOSIS - ANALYSIS of A WORKSHOP

Abstract

A workshop organized by the Ibero-American Project of Biotechnology evaluated the diagnostic potential of several cloned Trypanosoma cruzi recombinant antigens for Chagas' disease serodiagnosis. A set of recombinants, Antigen 2, Antigen 13, SAPA, H49, A13, JL5, JL7, JL8, JL9, and RA1 provided by three different South American laboratories were probed with a panel of 236 South American serum samples. Antigens JL7, H49, Antigen 2, and A13 scored as the best diagnostic recombinant reagents. the results suggested that the main advantage of using cloned peptides for chronic Chagas' disease diagnosis resided in their highly specific immunoreactive properties.