Full metadata
Title
Proteins and their glycosylations as diagnostic biomarkers of Valley Fever
Description
Valley Fever (VF), is a potentially lethal fungal pneumonia caused by Coccidioides spp., which is estimated to cause ~15-30% of all community-acquired pneumonias in the highly endemic Greater Phoenix and Tucson areas of Arizona. However, an accurate antigen-based diagnostic is still lacking. In order to identify protein and glycan antigen biomarkers of infection, I used a combination of genomics, proteomics and glycomics analyses to provide evidence of genus-specific proteins and glycosylations. The next goal was to determine if Coccidioides-specific glycans were present in biological samples from VF patients. Urine collected from 77 humans and 63 dogs were enriched for glycans and evaluated by mass spectrometry for Coccidioides-specific glycans and evaluated against a panel of normal donor urines, urines from patients infected with other fungi, and fungal cultures from closely related pneumonia-causing fungi. A combination of 6 glycan biomarkers was 100% sensitive and 100% specific in the diagnosis of human VF subjects, while only 3 glycan biomarkers were needed for 100% sensitivity and 100 specificity in the diagnosis of dog VF subject. Additionally, a blinded trial of 23 human urine samples was correctly able to classify urine samples with 93.3% sensitivity and 100% specificity. The results of this research provides evidence that Coccidioides genus-specific glycosylations have potential as antigens in diagnostic assays.
Date Created
2019
Contributors
- Mitchell, Natalie M (Author)
- Lake, Douglas F (Thesis advisor)
- Bean, Heather D (Committee member)
- Grys, Thomas E (Committee member)
- Magee, Dewey M (Committee member)
- Arizona State University (Publisher)
Topical Subject
Resource Type
Extent
xii, 188 pages : illustrations (chiefly color)
Language
Copyright Statement
In Copyright
Primary Member of
Peer-reviewed
No
Open Access
No
Handle
https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.I.53655
Statement of Responsibility
by Natalie M. Mitchell
Description Source
Viewed on June 9, 2020
Level of coding
full
Note
Partial requirement for: Ph.D., Arizona State University, 2019
Note type
thesis
Includes bibliographical references (pages 149-164)
Note type
bibliography
Field of study: Microbiology
System Created
- 2019-05-15 12:28:57
System Modified
- 2021-08-26 09:47:01
- 2 years 8 months ago
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