Accelerated detection of mycolactone production and response to antibiotic treatment in a mouse model of Mycobacterium ulcerans disease.

Diagnosis of the neglected tropical disease, Buruli ulcer, can be made by acid-fast smear microscopy, specimen culture on mycobacterial growth media, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and/or histopathology. All have drawbacks, including non-specificity and requirements for prolonged culture at 32°C,...

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Main Authors: Paul J Converse, Yalan Xing, Ki Hyun Kim, Sandeep Tyagi, Si-Yang Li, Deepak V Almeida, Eric L Nuermberger, Jacques H Grosset, Yoshito Kishi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2014-01-01
Series:PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3879254?pdf=render
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author Paul J Converse
Yalan Xing
Ki Hyun Kim
Sandeep Tyagi
Si-Yang Li
Deepak V Almeida
Eric L Nuermberger
Jacques H Grosset
Yoshito Kishi
author_facet Paul J Converse
Yalan Xing
Ki Hyun Kim
Sandeep Tyagi
Si-Yang Li
Deepak V Almeida
Eric L Nuermberger
Jacques H Grosset
Yoshito Kishi
author_sort Paul J Converse
collection DOAJ
description Diagnosis of the neglected tropical disease, Buruli ulcer, can be made by acid-fast smear microscopy, specimen culture on mycobacterial growth media, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and/or histopathology. All have drawbacks, including non-specificity and requirements for prolonged culture at 32°C, relatively sophisticated laboratory facilities, and expertise, respectively. The causative organism, Mycobacterium ulcerans, produces a unique toxin, mycolactone A/B (ML) that can be detected by thin layer chromatography (TLC) or mass spectrometric analysis. Detection by the latter technique requires sophisticated facilities. TLC is relatively simple but can be complicated by the presence of other lipids in the specimen. A method using a boronate-assisted fluorogenic chemosensor in TLC can overcome this challenge by selectively detecting ML when visualized with UV light. This report describes modifications in the fluorescent TLC (F-TLC) procedure and its application to the mouse footpad model of M. ulcerans disease to determine the kinetics of mycolactone production and its correlation with footpad swelling and the number of colony forming units in the footpad. The response of all three parameters to treatment with the current standard regimen of rifampin (RIF) and streptomycin (STR) or a proposed oral regimen of RIF and clarithromycin (CLR) was also assessed. ML was detectable before the onset of footpad swelling when there were <10(5) CFU per footpad. Swelling occurred when there were >10(5) CFU per footpad. Mycolactone concentrations increased as swelling increased whereas CFU levels reached a plateau. Treatment with either RIF+STR or RIF+CLR resulted in comparable reductions of mycolactone, footpad swelling, and CFU burden. Storage in absolute ethanol appears critical to successful detection of ML in footpads and would be practical for storage of clinical samples. F-TLC may offer a new tool for confirmation of suspected clinical lesions and be more specific than smear microscopy, much faster than culture, and simpler than PCR.
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spelling doaj.art-7dcad3d1367940f4945947cb576dfb052022-12-22T02:00:09ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352014-01-0181e261810.1371/journal.pntd.0002618Accelerated detection of mycolactone production and response to antibiotic treatment in a mouse model of Mycobacterium ulcerans disease.Paul J ConverseYalan XingKi Hyun KimSandeep TyagiSi-Yang LiDeepak V AlmeidaEric L NuermbergerJacques H GrossetYoshito KishiDiagnosis of the neglected tropical disease, Buruli ulcer, can be made by acid-fast smear microscopy, specimen culture on mycobacterial growth media, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and/or histopathology. All have drawbacks, including non-specificity and requirements for prolonged culture at 32°C, relatively sophisticated laboratory facilities, and expertise, respectively. The causative organism, Mycobacterium ulcerans, produces a unique toxin, mycolactone A/B (ML) that can be detected by thin layer chromatography (TLC) or mass spectrometric analysis. Detection by the latter technique requires sophisticated facilities. TLC is relatively simple but can be complicated by the presence of other lipids in the specimen. A method using a boronate-assisted fluorogenic chemosensor in TLC can overcome this challenge by selectively detecting ML when visualized with UV light. This report describes modifications in the fluorescent TLC (F-TLC) procedure and its application to the mouse footpad model of M. ulcerans disease to determine the kinetics of mycolactone production and its correlation with footpad swelling and the number of colony forming units in the footpad. The response of all three parameters to treatment with the current standard regimen of rifampin (RIF) and streptomycin (STR) or a proposed oral regimen of RIF and clarithromycin (CLR) was also assessed. ML was detectable before the onset of footpad swelling when there were <10(5) CFU per footpad. Swelling occurred when there were >10(5) CFU per footpad. Mycolactone concentrations increased as swelling increased whereas CFU levels reached a plateau. Treatment with either RIF+STR or RIF+CLR resulted in comparable reductions of mycolactone, footpad swelling, and CFU burden. Storage in absolute ethanol appears critical to successful detection of ML in footpads and would be practical for storage of clinical samples. F-TLC may offer a new tool for confirmation of suspected clinical lesions and be more specific than smear microscopy, much faster than culture, and simpler than PCR.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3879254?pdf=render
spellingShingle Paul J Converse
Yalan Xing
Ki Hyun Kim
Sandeep Tyagi
Si-Yang Li
Deepak V Almeida
Eric L Nuermberger
Jacques H Grosset
Yoshito Kishi
Accelerated detection of mycolactone production and response to antibiotic treatment in a mouse model of Mycobacterium ulcerans disease.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
title Accelerated detection of mycolactone production and response to antibiotic treatment in a mouse model of Mycobacterium ulcerans disease.
title_full Accelerated detection of mycolactone production and response to antibiotic treatment in a mouse model of Mycobacterium ulcerans disease.
title_fullStr Accelerated detection of mycolactone production and response to antibiotic treatment in a mouse model of Mycobacterium ulcerans disease.
title_full_unstemmed Accelerated detection of mycolactone production and response to antibiotic treatment in a mouse model of Mycobacterium ulcerans disease.
title_short Accelerated detection of mycolactone production and response to antibiotic treatment in a mouse model of Mycobacterium ulcerans disease.
title_sort accelerated detection of mycolactone production and response to antibiotic treatment in a mouse model of mycobacterium ulcerans disease
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3879254?pdf=render
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