Characterization of cerebrospinal fluid antibody specificities in neurocysticercosis using phage display peptide library

To identify epitopes for antibodies present in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sa mples from two patients with confirmed neurocysticercosis, we used a phage peptide library that displayed random dodecapeptides as a fusion to the min or coat protein (pIII) of phage M13. To increase the specificity of selecti on, plates coated with anti-human Fc antibody were used in five rounds of b iopanning. The DNA inserts of 30 selected clones were determined and the de duced amino acid sequences were analyzed. Sequence similarities between aff inity-selected clones and three known T. solium and T. crassiceps proteins were encountered. Two phage clones have been shown to react in enzyme-linke d immunosorbent assay with CSF samples from other patients with neurocystic ercosis, and no reaction was observed with CSF samples from patients with o ther neurological disorders used as negative controls. Our results suggest that affinity selection of peptides from phage libraries using CSF samples from patients is an attractive tool for the development of novel reagents f or a simple and sensitive immunodiagnostic test and for understanding the m olecular mechanisms participating in the pathogenesis Of neurocysticercosis . (C) 1999 Academic Press.