Validação de peptídeos miméticos recombinantes como ferramenta diagnóstica e vacinal para leishmaniose humana

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is a neglected and endemic disease in Brazil, especially in the Northeast, caused by over 20 species of the Leishmania protozoan. Diagnosis includes epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory aspects. Despite the existence of various diagnostic techniques that can be used, none has 100% sensitivity and specificity. Hence, this study aimed to validate three recombinant mimetic peptides (LC1, LC2, and LT) obtained by Phage display, for the development of a specific, sensitive, rapid low-cost immunological diagnosis. Sera for detection of IgG from 223 individuals were used (123 with visceral leishmaniasis (VL), 45 with cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and 55 with LV-HIV coinfection). For cross-reaction tests, we used samples of patients with Chagas' disease (n = 60) and Malaria (n=65), and control group (n= 75 sera from newborns). The peptides were also tested in saliva from patients with LV (n = 65), with LT (n = 40), and healthy individuals from an endemic area were used as control (n =35). Diagnostic tests using the mimetic LC1 and LC2 peptides were carried out in serum of 15 asymptomatic subjects; 13 healed individuals and 15 healthy subjects. To test the ability of the mimetic peptides to improve the immune response against Leishmania, murine macrophages C57BL/6 were treated in vitro with peptides LC1, LC2, and LT (0,6μM; 1,25μM; 2,5μM; 5μM, 10μM) and infected with L. infantum chagasi and L. amazonensis for invasion and multiplication assays. We also evaluated the potential protective action of mimetic peptide in mice infected with L. amazonensis. Therefore, animals were immunized and the parasite load, expression of cytokines, lesion size, and protein analysis binders were evaluated. The immunoassays showed that both serum and saliva of the patients exhibited a highly significant difference (p < 0.0001) compared to their controls, with 100% sensitivity and 100%specificity. Peptides were able to detect infection in asymptomatic subjects and showed no cross-reactivity to either Chagas’ disease or malaria, as well as co-infection LV-HIV did not interfere with responsiveness to LV antibodies, therefore being a promising tool for monitoring regions where these diseases occur. Tests using macrophages showed a highly significant reduction in the number of infected cells and of internalized parasites. A further reduction of parasites with increasing concentration of peptide was observed. Furthermore, it was observed that immunization of mice was able to induce high levels of IFN-γ, IL-12, GM-CSF and IL-10, while IL-4 did not change compared to the control. Additionally, immunized animals showed a reduction in parasitic load in all organs (spleen, lymph node, liver, and bone marrow), a decrease in paw lesion in which parasites were inoculated and phosphorylation of ERK1/2, JNK and p65/RelA. Western Blot assay identified two proteins to L. amazonensis (42 KDa) and two to Leishmania infantum chagasi (26 KDa). Thus, our results demonstrate that mimetic peptides act as antigens of L. infantum chagasi and L. amazonensis, being good immune markers for a simple and fast diagnosis with high sensitivity and specificity. Finally, data in murine macrophages in vitro and in vivo open perspectives for their use as a vaccine tool.