The objective of this work was to develop an antibody-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) avidity assay to discriminate between acute and latent phases of Toxoplasma gondii infection by using recombinant antigens. One hundred twenty-one serum samples from women who developed IgG antibodies against Toxoplasma during pregnancy were used. The IgG avidities of antibodies directed against epitopes carried by fragments of GRA3, GRA7, MIC3, and SAG1 antigens were measured by performing parallel enzyme immunoassays. The avidity index for Toxoplasma-specific antibodies against a homogeneous mixture of recombinant GRA3, GRA7, MIC3, and SAG1 antigens correlated closely with the IgG avidity of antibodies against lysed whole-cell T. gondii antigen. The avidity assay performed with the recombinant MIC3 antigen highlighted the presence of avidity low-antibodies IgG exclusively in sera collected within 2 months after primary infection. The presence of T. gondii-specific, low-avidity IgG antibodies against recombinant MIC3 antigen can be used to determine the point of infection with T. gondii within a 2-month time frame after infection.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JCM.41.12.5414-5418.2003 | DOI Listing |
J Clin Invest
January 2025
Center for Inherited Myology Research, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, United States of America.
Background: Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a multisystemic, CTG repeat expansion disorder characterized by a slow, progressive decline in skeletal muscle function. A biomarker correlating RNA mis-splicing, the core pathogenic disease mechanism, and muscle performance is crucial for assessing response to disease-modifying interventions. We evaluated the Myotonic Dystrophy Splice Index (SI), a composite RNA splicing biomarker incorporating 22 disease-specific events, as a potential biomarker of DM1 muscle weakness.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Transl Med
January 2025
Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China.
Background: T cell receptor (TCR)-engineered T cells targeting neoantigens originated from mutations in KRAS gene have demonstrated promising outcomes in clinical trials against solid tumors. However, the challenge lies in developing tumor-specific TCRs that avoid cross-reactivity with self-antigens to minimize the possibility of severe clinical toxicities. Current research efforts have been put towards strategies to eliminate TCR off-target recognition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCell Host Microbe
January 2025
Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. Electronic address:
Evidence suggests that bats are important hosts of filoviruses, yet the specific species involved remain largely unidentified. Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1) is an essential entry receptor, with amino acid variations influencing viral susceptibility and species-specific tropism. Herein, we conducted combinatorial binding studies with seven filovirus glycoproteins (GPs) and NPC1 orthologs from 81 bat species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Surg Educ
January 2025
Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts.
Objectives: Race and gender concordance between physicians and patients is associated with reductions in healthcare disparities. However, the diversity of the medical workforce does not mirror the population; some of the greatest deficiencies exist in the surgical workforce. We conducted a pilot study focused on early recruitment of diverse college students in our region, with a concurrent needs assessment of their specific barriers to entering the field of surgery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiochemistry
January 2025
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada.
Multimerization is a powerful engineering strategy for enhancing protein structural stability, diversity and functional performance. Typical methods for clustering proteins include tandem linking, fusion to self-assembly domains and cross-linking. Here we present a novel approach that leverages the Peptidisc membrane mimetic to stabilize hydrophobic-driven protein clusters.
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