Glycine rich proteins of ticks: more than a cement component.

Glycine-rich proteins (GRPs) are arbitrarily defined as those containing 20% or more glycine residues and constitute a superfamily divided into subfamilies based on their structure and/or function. GRPs have been identified in a diverse array of organisms and have been shown to possess a number of distinctive biological characteristics, including nucleic acid binding, adhesive glue-like properties, antimicrobial activity, involvement in the stress response and in the formation of cuticle components. In ticks, their expression has been described and studied mainly in the salivary glands, and their primary function is usually associated with cement formation and/or structure.

Accuracy of the urine point-of-care circulating cathodic antigen assay for diagnosing Schistosomiasis mansoni infection in Brazil: A multicenter study.

Background: The World Health Organization recommends a market-ready, urine-based point-of-care diagnostic test for circulating cathodic antigens (CCA) to determine the prevalence of S. mansoni. This study evaluated the performance of the URINE CCA (SCHISTO) ECO TESTE® (POC-ECO), which is currently available in Brazil.

miracidia: revisiting motility and survival parameters for improved computational modelling.

is the main causative agent of intestinal schistosomiasis which affects millions of people worldwide. At the larval stage, miracidia are released into bodies of water where they utilize their motility to successfully infect their intermediate host, snails. Here, we revisit the motility and survival of miracidia throughout its life span.

Low specificity of point-of-care circulating cathodic antigen (POCCCA) diagnostic test in a non-endemic area for schistosomiasis mansoni in Brazil.

A point-of-care test for detecting schistosome circulating cathodic antigen in urine (POCCCA) has been proposed for mapping infection and defining prevalence thresholds for mass drug administration (MDA). However, there is increasing evidence that POCCCA may yield false-positive results, which requires rigorous specificity evaluation in non-endemic areas. POCCCA was applied in an area known to be free from infection and devoid of any condition for schistosomiasis transmission as part of a multicentre study to evaluate the performance of POCCCA in Brazil's low or potentially endemic settings.

Use of Schistosoma mansoni soluble egg antigen (SEA) for antibody detection and diagnosis of schistosomiasis: The need for improved accuracy evaluations of diagnostic tools.

Many antigens for use in antibody-detection systems for schistosomiasis have been investigated over the past 40 years. In particular, soluble egg antigens (SEA) are still widely used in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for detection of immunoglobulin classes and subclasses. Here, we conducted a literature review to examine accuracy evaluations of SEA-Immunoglobulin G (IgG)-ELISAs performed to detect Schistosoma mansoni infections and published between 1979 and 2019.

Criteria for identification of Schistosoma mansoni eggs in faecal sediments prepared with the Helmintex method and stained by ninhydrin.

Helmintex is a sensitive method used for detecting Schistosoma mansoni eggs. Here, we describe the observed frequency of six proposed criteria associated with the identification of S. mansoni eggs prepared with the Helmintex method and stained with ninhydrin.

Study of diagnostic accuracy of Helmintex, Kato-Katz, and POC-CCA methods for diagnosing intestinal schistosomiasis in Candeal, a low intensity transmission area in northeastern Brazil.

Control initiatives have successfully reduced the prevalence and intensity of schistosomiasis transmission in several localities around the world. However, individuals that release low numbers of eggs in their feces may not be detected by classical methods that are limited by low sensitivity. Given that accurate estimates of prevalence are key to implementing planning control actions for the elimination of schistosomiasis, new diagnostic tools are needed to effectively monitor infections and confirm transmission interruption.