Development of new kits destined for the diagnosis of intestinal parasites in feces samples

Abstract

The project envisions the development of kits for the diagnosis of intestinal parasites in feces samples. The kits may be industrialized and sold by the company Immunoassay Produtos Hospitalares Ltda. Recent data released by the World Health Organization shows that close to 3.5 billion people in the world find themselves with intestinal parasites, of which 450 million are ill, the majority being children living in tropical areas, including Brazil. Market research indicates that there are few national diagnostic kits destined towards the examination of feces. This project is divided into three sub-projects. The first deals with the development of a simple, practical and lowcost kit, which will permit the collection of feces, concentrating on the parasitic elements and their morphological identification through the optical microscope, which could, at the next stage, be linked to an automatic system. The two other kits characterize themselves as being diagnostically advanced, for use with monoclonic antibodies and the technique of genomic amplification. In this manner, the second kit will be destined to the detection of antigens of Entamoeba histolytica, by way of immuno enzyme testing (Elisa). The third kit will be for the detection of Cryptosporidium parvum, Cyclospora cayetanensis and Microsporida, opportunist and emergent protozoa that are present under immune deficiency conditions, such as those observed with AIDS. This kit is based on the amplification of DNA, using a system of biotinylation primers, and the identification of the amplified products on plastic trays treated with avidin, internal marking probes with digoxygenin, and enzyme conjugates anti-digoxygenin (PCR- colorimetry). Kits for the detection of C. parvumcould also be applied for the analysis of water quality. The present project could open up paths towards the standardization, evaluation and the production of other immune reagents applied in the diagnosis of the other intestinal protozoa, among them the giardiasis extra-intestinal infections by free living amebas. (AU)