Sensitive and specific target sequences selected from retrotransposons of Schistosoma japonicum for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis.

BACKGROUND: Schistosomiasis japonica is a serious debilitating and sometimes fatal disease. Accurate diagnostic tests play a key role in patient management and control of the disease. However, currently available diagnostic methods are not ideal, and the detection of the parasite DNA in blood sample...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jun-Jie Guo, Hua-Jun Zheng, Jing Xu, Xing-Quan Zhu, Sheng-Yue Wang, Chao-Ming Xia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2012-01-01
Series:PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3313927?pdf=render
_version_ 1811295239523008512
author Jun-Jie Guo
Hua-Jun Zheng
Jing Xu
Xing-Quan Zhu
Sheng-Yue Wang
Chao-Ming Xia
author_facet Jun-Jie Guo
Hua-Jun Zheng
Jing Xu
Xing-Quan Zhu
Sheng-Yue Wang
Chao-Ming Xia
author_sort Jun-Jie Guo
collection DOAJ
description BACKGROUND: Schistosomiasis japonica is a serious debilitating and sometimes fatal disease. Accurate diagnostic tests play a key role in patient management and control of the disease. However, currently available diagnostic methods are not ideal, and the detection of the parasite DNA in blood samples has turned out to be one of the most promising tools for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis. In our previous investigations, a 230-bp sequence from the highly repetitive retrotransposon SjR2 was identified and it showed high sensitivity and specificity for detecting Schistosoma japonicum DNA in the sera of rabbit model and patients. Recently, 29 retrotransposons were found in S. japonicum genome by our group. The present study highlighted the key factors for selecting a new perspective sensitive target DNA sequence for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis, which can serve as example for other parasitic pathogens. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, we demonstrated that the key factors based on the bioinformatic analysis for selecting target sequence are the higher genome proportion, repetitive complete copies and partial copies, and active ESTs than the others in the chromosome genome. New primers based on 25 novel retrotransposons and SjR2 were designed and their sensitivity and specificity for detecting S. japonicum DNA were compared. The results showed that a new 303-bp sequence from non-long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposon (SjCHGCS19) had high sensitivity and specificity. The 303-bp target sequence was amplified from the sera of rabbit model at 3 d post-infection by nested-PCR and it became negative at 17 weeks post-treatment. Furthermore, the percentage sensitivity of the nested-PCR was 97.67% in 43 serum samples of S. japonicum-infected patients. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings highlighted the key factors based on the bioinformatic analysis for selecting target sequence from S. japonicum genome, which provide basis for establishing powerful molecular diagnostic techniques that can be used for monitoring early infection and therapy efficacy to support schistosomiasis control programs.
first_indexed 2024-04-13T05:30:26Z
format Article
id doaj.art-a05fb62e3a0c434bb1c30428f8768490
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1935-2727
1935-2735
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-13T05:30:26Z
publishDate 2012-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
spelling doaj.art-a05fb62e3a0c434bb1c30428f87684902022-12-22T03:00:28ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352012-01-0163e157910.1371/journal.pntd.0001579Sensitive and specific target sequences selected from retrotransposons of Schistosoma japonicum for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis.Jun-Jie GuoHua-Jun ZhengJing XuXing-Quan ZhuSheng-Yue WangChao-Ming XiaBACKGROUND: Schistosomiasis japonica is a serious debilitating and sometimes fatal disease. Accurate diagnostic tests play a key role in patient management and control of the disease. However, currently available diagnostic methods are not ideal, and the detection of the parasite DNA in blood samples has turned out to be one of the most promising tools for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis. In our previous investigations, a 230-bp sequence from the highly repetitive retrotransposon SjR2 was identified and it showed high sensitivity and specificity for detecting Schistosoma japonicum DNA in the sera of rabbit model and patients. Recently, 29 retrotransposons were found in S. japonicum genome by our group. The present study highlighted the key factors for selecting a new perspective sensitive target DNA sequence for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis, which can serve as example for other parasitic pathogens. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, we demonstrated that the key factors based on the bioinformatic analysis for selecting target sequence are the higher genome proportion, repetitive complete copies and partial copies, and active ESTs than the others in the chromosome genome. New primers based on 25 novel retrotransposons and SjR2 were designed and their sensitivity and specificity for detecting S. japonicum DNA were compared. The results showed that a new 303-bp sequence from non-long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposon (SjCHGCS19) had high sensitivity and specificity. The 303-bp target sequence was amplified from the sera of rabbit model at 3 d post-infection by nested-PCR and it became negative at 17 weeks post-treatment. Furthermore, the percentage sensitivity of the nested-PCR was 97.67% in 43 serum samples of S. japonicum-infected patients. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings highlighted the key factors based on the bioinformatic analysis for selecting target sequence from S. japonicum genome, which provide basis for establishing powerful molecular diagnostic techniques that can be used for monitoring early infection and therapy efficacy to support schistosomiasis control programs.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3313927?pdf=render
spellingShingle Jun-Jie Guo
Hua-Jun Zheng
Jing Xu
Xing-Quan Zhu
Sheng-Yue Wang
Chao-Ming Xia
Sensitive and specific target sequences selected from retrotransposons of Schistosoma japonicum for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
title Sensitive and specific target sequences selected from retrotransposons of Schistosoma japonicum for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis.
title_full Sensitive and specific target sequences selected from retrotransposons of Schistosoma japonicum for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis.
title_fullStr Sensitive and specific target sequences selected from retrotransposons of Schistosoma japonicum for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis.
title_full_unstemmed Sensitive and specific target sequences selected from retrotransposons of Schistosoma japonicum for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis.
title_short Sensitive and specific target sequences selected from retrotransposons of Schistosoma japonicum for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis.
title_sort sensitive and specific target sequences selected from retrotransposons of schistosoma japonicum for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3313927?pdf=render
work_keys_str_mv AT junjieguo sensitiveandspecifictargetsequencesselectedfromretrotransposonsofschistosomajaponicumforthediagnosisofschistosomiasis
AT huajunzheng sensitiveandspecifictargetsequencesselectedfromretrotransposonsofschistosomajaponicumforthediagnosisofschistosomiasis
AT jingxu sensitiveandspecifictargetsequencesselectedfromretrotransposonsofschistosomajaponicumforthediagnosisofschistosomiasis
AT xingquanzhu sensitiveandspecifictargetsequencesselectedfromretrotransposonsofschistosomajaponicumforthediagnosisofschistosomiasis
AT shengyuewang sensitiveandspecifictargetsequencesselectedfromretrotransposonsofschistosomajaponicumforthediagnosisofschistosomiasis
AT chaomingxia sensitiveandspecifictargetsequencesselectedfromretrotransposonsofschistosomajaponicumforthediagnosisofschistosomiasis