TR potential biomarkers for serologic diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis

Immunodominant antigens such as thioredoxin reductase GliT (TR) have been found to have potential as biomarkers for the serologic diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis, according to a recent research paper published in BMC Microbiology.

Scientists and doctors have recently documented a rise in incidence of invasive aspergillosis (IA) in critically ill patients, which is evidentially not dependant on predisposing immunodeciency.

According to the team, diagnosing IA has proven difficult given clinical signs that are not sensitive and specific. Serum galactomannan has relatively low sensitivity in this group of patients, which meant more accurate disease markers were required.

MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF -MS) were used to identify the immunoreactive protein spots. Forty spots from 2DE gels were detected and 17 different proteins were identified as immunogenic in humans.

The results highlighted that thioredoxin reductase GliT was unlike any other human proteins, and showed a low homology with most other fungi. It also showed a high probability for secretion, with researchers proving TR as a secretory protein with a signal sequence.

Proven IA patients with differing underlying diseases were used in the study, the sera recognised for the recombinant TR in all cases.