Antigenic Determinant of Helicobacter pylori FlaA for Developing Serological Diagnostic Methods in Children
Hyun-Eui Park1,2, Seorin Park1,2,3, Damir Nizamutdinov1
1Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Republic of Korea.
Insights
Early diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection is crucial for preventing gastric cancer. A specific FlaA antigen fragment (1345-1395 bp) shows high sensitivity and specificity for serological diagnosis in children.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Immunology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Early diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection is vital for gastric cancer prevention.
- Current endoscopic biopsy methods for H. pylori diagnosis face limitations, particularly in pediatric patients.
- Development of convenient and accurate early diagnostic methods is necessary.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify effective antigens with high diagnostic value within the FlaA protein of H. pylori.
- To evaluate the diagnostic potential of specific FlaA fragments for H. pylori infection.
Main Methods:
- Full-sized FlaA protein was fragmented and cloned.
- Antigenicity of FlaA fragments was assessed using Western blotting.
- ELISA was employed to test serum samples from children against a specific FlaA fragment (1345-1395 bp).
Main Results:
- The FlaA fragment spanning 1345-1395 bp demonstrated strong immunogenicity.
- IgG reactivity against the FlaA 1345-1395 bp fragment showed 90.0% sensitivity and 90.5% specificity.
- IgM reactivity against the FlaA 1345-1395 bp fragment achieved 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity.
Conclusions:
- The FlaA 1345-1395 bp fragment is a highly antigenic and valuable candidate for serological diagnosis of H. pylori.
- This FlaA epitope can serve as a diagnostic marker for H. pylori infection, aiding in the control of associated gastric diseases.
- The findings support the development of new diagnostic tools for H. pylori, improving gastric disease management.
Abstract:
The early diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection is important for gastric cancer prevention and treatment. Although endoscopic biopsy is widely used for H. pylori diagnosis, an accurate biopsy cannot be performed until a lesion becomes clear, especially in pediatric patients. Therefore, it is necessary to develop convenient and accurate methods for early diagnosis. FlaA, an essential factor for H. pylori survival, shows high antigenicity and can be used as a diagnostic marker. We attempted to identify effective antigens containing epitopes of high diagnostic value in FlaA. Full-sized FlaA was divided into several fragments and cloned, and its antigenicity was investigated using Western blotting. The FlaA fragment of 1345-1395 bp had strong immunogenicity. ELISA was performed with serum samples from children by using the 1345-1395 bp recombinant antigen fragment. IgG reactivity showed 90.0% sensitivity and 90.5% specificity, and IgM reactivity showed 100% sensitivity and specificity. The FlaA fragment of 1345-1395 bp discovered in the present study has antigenicity and is of high value as a candidate antigen for serological diagnosis. The FlaA 1345-1395 bp epitope can be used as a diagnostic marker for H. pylori infection, thereby controlling various gastric diseases such as gastric cancer and peptic ulcers caused by H. pylori.
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