Favourable prognostic value of antibodies anti-HSP20 in patients with cystic echinococcosis: a differential immunoproteomic approach

• Published in: Parasite immunology 2011-03, Vol.33 (3), p.193-198
• Main Authors: VACIRCA, D, PERDICCHIO, M, CAMPISI, E, DELUNARDO, F, ORTONA, E, MARGUTTI, P, TEGGI, A, GOTTSTEIN, B, SIRACUSANO, A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies; Antibodies, Helminth - blood; Antigens, Helminth - immunology; biomarkers; Biomarkers - blood; echinococcosis; Echinococcosis - diagnosis; Echinococcosis - drug therapy; Echinococcosis - immunology; Echinococcosis - surgery; Echinococcus; Echinococcus - immunology; Echinococcus granulosus; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; Female; follow‐up; Gel electrophoresis; heat shock protein 20; Heat shock proteins; HSP20 Heat-Shock Proteins - immunology; Humans; Immunoblotting; immunological marker; Male; Mass spectroscopy; Parasites; Prognosis; Proteome - immunology; proteomics
• ISSN: 0141-9838; 1365-3024
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3024.2010.01264.x

Seeking biomarkers reflecting disease development in cystic echinococcosis (CE), we used a proteomic approach linked to immunological characterisation for the identification of respective antigens. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) of sheep hydatid fluid, followed by immunoblot analysis (IB) with sera from patients with distinct phases of disease, enabled us to identify by mass spectrometry heat shock protein 20 (HSP20) as a potential marker of active CE. Using IB, antibodies specific to the 34 kDa band of HSP20 were detected in sera from 61/95 (64%) patients with CE, but not in sera from healthy subjects. IB revealed anti-HSP20 antibodies in a higher percentage of sera from patients with active disease than in sera from patients with inactive disease (81 vs. 24%; P = 10⁻⁴). These primary results were confirmed in a long-term follow-up study after pharmacological and surgical treatment. Herewith anti-HSP20 antibody levels significantly decreased over the course of treatment in sera from patients with cured disease, relative to sera from patients with progressive disease (P = 0·017). Thus, during CE, a comprehensive strategy of proteomic identification combined with immunological validation represents a promising approach for the identification of biomarkers useful for the prognostic assessment of treatment of CE patients.