Evaluation of pathogen specific urinary peptides in tick-borne illnesses

Sci Rep. 2020 Nov 9;10(1):19340. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-75051-3.

Abstract

Mass spectrometry enhanced by nanotechnology can achieve previously unattainable sensitivity for characterizing urinary pathogen-derived peptides. We utilized mass spectrometry enhanced by affinity hydrogel particles (analytical sensitivity = 2.5 pg/mL) to study tick pathogen-specific proteins shed in the urine of patients with (1) erythema migrans rash and acute symptoms, (2) post treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS), and (3) clinical suspicion of tick-borne illnesses (TBI). Targeted pathogens were Borrelia, Babesia, Anaplasma, Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, Bartonella, Francisella, Powassan virus, tick-borne encephalitis virus, and Colorado tick fever virus. Specificity was defined by 100% amino acid sequence identity with tick-borne pathogen proteins, evolutionary taxonomic verification for related pathogens, and no identity with human or other organisms. Using a cut off of two pathogen peptides, 9/10 acute Lyme Borreliosis patients resulted positive, while we identified zero false positive in 250 controls. Two or more pathogen peptides were identified in 40% of samples from PTLDS and TBI patients (categories 2 and 3 above, n = 59/148). Collectively, 279 distinct unique tick-borne pathogen derived peptides were identified. The number of pathogen specific peptides was directly correlated with presence or absence of symptoms reported by patients (ordinal regression pseudo-R2 = 0.392, p = 0.010). Enhanced mass spectrometry is a new tool for studying tick-borne pathogen infections.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Algorithms
  • Animals
  • Babesia microti / metabolism
  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • Borrelia
  • Erythema Chronicum Migrans / microbiology
  • Erythema Chronicum Migrans / urine
  • Exanthema
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hydrogels / chemistry
  • Infectious Disease Medicine
  • Lyme Disease / microbiology*
  • Lyme Disease / urine*
  • Male
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Mesocricetus
  • Middle Aged
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Peptides / urine*
  • Regression Analysis
  • Ticks*
  • Urinalysis

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Hydrogels
  • Peptides