1Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kenyatta University, P.O. Box 43844, 00100 – Nairobi, Kenya
2Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Egerton University, P.O. Box 536, 20115 – Njoro, Kenya
3Presbyterian University of East Africa, P.O. Box 387, 00902– Kikuyu, Kenya
4Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Department, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, P.O. Box 30772, 00100 – Nairobi, Kenya
*Corresponding author e-mail: luciaakinyi@gmail.com
Online published on 15 September, 2014.
In the course of a Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) infection, there is a protracted and fluctuating course of parasitaemia during which different variant surface glycoproteins (VSGs) are expressed in a hierarchical fashion, where some VSGs appear preferentially early in infection and others only later. VSG 4; previously found to be one of the most frequently expressed VSGs in early stage of T. b. rhodesiense infections, was chosen as a putative diagnostic VSG candidate in this study. A total of 67 human blood samples from Kenya and Uganda were tested using a VSG 4 based Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). VSG 4 protein was also expressed in E. coli and tested for reactivity with HAT patient sera. A detection of 95.8% and 86% among blood samples from Kenya and Uganda respectively was observed in this PCR. Western blot showed a smear around 55-65KDa; probably a VSG, since VSGs have molecular weights in this region. These results suggest that the detection of VSG 4 would make a more sensitive diagnostic assay in the early diagnosis and treatment follow-up of T. b. rhodesiense infections.
Variant surface glycoprotein (VSG), Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, East African sleeping sickness, Diagnostic candidate
