Early assessment of antibodies decline in Chagas patients following treatment using a serological multiplex immunoassay

Abstract Chagas disease following infection with Trypanosoma cruzi is a major public health issue, with the disease spreading beyond endemic regions and becoming more global due to the migration of infected individuals. The currently available anti-parasitic drugs, nifurtimox and benznidazole, remai...

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Main Authors: Ursula Saade, Jasper de Boer, Ivan Scandale, Jaime Altcheh, Hans Pottel, Eric Chatelain, Maan Zrein
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-12-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54910-x
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author Ursula Saade
Jasper de Boer
Ivan Scandale
Jaime Altcheh
Hans Pottel
Eric Chatelain
Maan Zrein
author_facet Ursula Saade
Jasper de Boer
Ivan Scandale
Jaime Altcheh
Hans Pottel
Eric Chatelain
Maan Zrein
author_sort Ursula Saade
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Chagas disease following infection with Trypanosoma cruzi is a major public health issue, with the disease spreading beyond endemic regions and becoming more global due to the migration of infected individuals. The currently available anti-parasitic drugs, nifurtimox and benznidazole, remain insufficiently evaluated for their efficacy in adult patients. A key challenge is the lack of markers for parasitological cure, which also precludes the development of new treatments. Consequently, there is a critical need for a practical method to assess drug performance within a short timeframe. In this retrospective analysis of the phase 2 randomized controlled BENDITA trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03378661), we report the potential of a serological multiplex method (MultiCruzi), combined with advanced statistical analytical methods, to measure the response to anti-parasitic treatment of adult Chagas patients. Applying this approach to serum samples from adult patients in the indeterminate chronic stage of Chagas disease, treated with different benznidazole regimens and combinations, we predict treatment efficacy after just 6 months of follow-up, in sharp contrast to data obtained with conventional and recombinant T. cruzi ELISA tests. The obtained results are also compared with the PCR data. We propose integrating MultiCruzi as a serological method endpoint in proof-of-concept clinical trials for Chagas disease.
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spelling doaj-art-fe38f60394134c52ac06b25c0cfbf4762025-08-20T02:20:48ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232024-12-0115111210.1038/s41467-024-54910-xEarly assessment of antibodies decline in Chagas patients following treatment using a serological multiplex immunoassayUrsula Saade0Jasper de Boer1Ivan Scandale2Jaime Altcheh3Hans Pottel4Eric Chatelain5Maan Zrein6InfYnity BiomarkersDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven Campus Kulak KortrijkDrugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi)Parasitology Service, Hospital de Niños “Ricardo Gutierrez” and Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigacion en Patologias Pediatricas (IMIPP)-CONICET-GCBADepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven Campus Kulak KortrijkDrugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi)InfYnity BiomarkersAbstract Chagas disease following infection with Trypanosoma cruzi is a major public health issue, with the disease spreading beyond endemic regions and becoming more global due to the migration of infected individuals. The currently available anti-parasitic drugs, nifurtimox and benznidazole, remain insufficiently evaluated for their efficacy in adult patients. A key challenge is the lack of markers for parasitological cure, which also precludes the development of new treatments. Consequently, there is a critical need for a practical method to assess drug performance within a short timeframe. In this retrospective analysis of the phase 2 randomized controlled BENDITA trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03378661), we report the potential of a serological multiplex method (MultiCruzi), combined with advanced statistical analytical methods, to measure the response to anti-parasitic treatment of adult Chagas patients. Applying this approach to serum samples from adult patients in the indeterminate chronic stage of Chagas disease, treated with different benznidazole regimens and combinations, we predict treatment efficacy after just 6 months of follow-up, in sharp contrast to data obtained with conventional and recombinant T. cruzi ELISA tests. The obtained results are also compared with the PCR data. We propose integrating MultiCruzi as a serological method endpoint in proof-of-concept clinical trials for Chagas disease.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54910-x
spellingShingle Ursula Saade
Jasper de Boer
Ivan Scandale
Jaime Altcheh
Hans Pottel
Eric Chatelain
Maan Zrein
Early assessment of antibodies decline in Chagas patients following treatment using a serological multiplex immunoassay
Nature Communications
title Early assessment of antibodies decline in Chagas patients following treatment using a serological multiplex immunoassay
title_full Early assessment of antibodies decline in Chagas patients following treatment using a serological multiplex immunoassay
title_fullStr Early assessment of antibodies decline in Chagas patients following treatment using a serological multiplex immunoassay
title_full_unstemmed Early assessment of antibodies decline in Chagas patients following treatment using a serological multiplex immunoassay
title_short Early assessment of antibodies decline in Chagas patients following treatment using a serological multiplex immunoassay
title_sort early assessment of antibodies decline in chagas patients following treatment using a serological multiplex immunoassay
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54910-x
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