DETECTION OF FILARIAL ASPARAGINYL-TRNA SYNTHETASE

班氏吴策线虫和马来丝虫引起的淋巴丝虫病 在菲律宾群岛南部的第十四个地方性的 同时，有2 000万人生活在流行地区。努力控制 菲律宾国家丝虫病控制计划（NFCP） 包括菲律宾大学（UP）的科学支持， 评价监测社区化疗的新诊断方法 审判氨酰-tRNA合成酶（阿尔斯）是一类重要的酶家族 在蛋白质生物合成中起着重要作用， 遗传密码的翻译。几条证据表明， 天冬酰胺酰-tRNA合成酶（AsnRS）尤其可以是有用的分子 作为诊断淋巴丝虫病靶标。丝虫AsnRS高度 抗原性和结构不同于人类酶。抗B抗体。 malayi AsnRS与W.班克罗夫特提AsnRS。丝虫AsnRS是 以高分子量形式从寄生虫排泄或分泌，和 存在几种鉴定丝虫AsnRS的方法。因此，目标是 与生物化学系（UP）和NFCP合作，评估 丝虫AsnRS作为活动性丝虫病标志物的有效性本研究 设计阐述了检测AsnRS的方法的灵敏度和特异性， 抗原和AsnRS酶活性。NFCP正在准备评估 在5个哨点中，联合药物治疗期间的几项诊断测试 从2000年4月开始的高流行社区。因此， 的AsnRS检测方法，以识别具有活性班氏的受试者 丝虫病可以与NFCP评估的其他三种方法进行比较 - 血清丝虫抗原试验（ICT），循环寄生虫扩增 DNA通过PCR和吖啶橙子检查夜间血液样本。的 本研究的长期目标有两个：（1）帮助开发和评估 监测丝虫病化疗对人和媒介影响的工具 （2）扩大对生物学功能的研究， 丝虫性阿尔斯。

Lymphatic filariasis caused by Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia malayi is endemic throughout the Philippine Island archipelago south of the fourteenth parallel and 20 million persons live in endemic areas. Efforts to control filariasis by the Philippines National Filariasis Control Program (NFCP) includes scientific support from the University of the Philippines (UP) and evaluation of new diagnostic methods to monitor community-based chemotherapy trials. Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AARS) are an important family of enzymes that play a fundamental role in protein biosynthesis by maintaining fidelity of translation of the genetic code. Several lines of evidence suggest that asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase (AsnRS) in particular may be a useful molecular target for diagnosis of lymphatic filariasis. Filarial AsnRS is highly antigenic and structurally divergent from human enzymes. Antibody against B. malayi AsnRS is cross reactive with W. bancrofti AsnRS. Filarial AsnRS is excreted or secreted from parasites in a high molecular weight form, and several methods exist to identify filarial AsnRS. Therefore the objectives are to work with the Department of Biochemistry (UP) and the NFCP to assess the validity of filarial AsnRS as a marker of active filariasis. This research design addresses the sensitivity and specificity of methods to detect AsnRS as an antigen, and AsnRS enzyme activity. The NFCP is preparing to evaluate several diagnostic tests during combination drug treatment in five sentinel hyperendemic communities beginning in April of the year 2000. Thus the accuracy of AsnRS detection methods to identify subjects with active Bancroftian filariasis can be compared to three other methods under evaluation by the NFCP - a serum filarial antigen test (ICT), amplification of circulating parasite DNA by PCR, and acridine orange examination of nocturnal blood samples. The long term goals of this research are twofold: (1) Help develop and evaluate tools to monitor the effects of filariasis chemotherapy on human and vector populations, and (2) Expand investigations on the biological functions of filarial AARS.