Diagnosing arthropod-borne flaviviruses: non-structural protein 1 (NS1) as a biomarker

Martina Ceconi; Kevin K Ariën; Peter Delputte

doi:10.1016/j.tim.2023.11.016

Diagnosing arthropod-borne flaviviruses: non-structural protein 1 (NS1) as a biomarker

Trends Microbiol. 2023 Dec 21:S0966-842X(23)00334-7. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.11.016. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Martina Ceconi¹, Kevin K Ariën², Peter Delputte³

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory for Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene, Infla-Med Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp 2610, Belgium.
² Virology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp 2000, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp 2610, Belgium.
³ Laboratory for Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene, Infla-Med Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp 2610, Belgium. Electronic address: peter.delputte@uantwerpen.be.

PMID: 38135616
DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.11.016

Abstract

In recent decades, the presence of flaviviruses of concern for human health in Europe has drastically increased,exacerbated by the effects of climate change - which has allowed the vectors of these viruses to expand into new territories. Co-circulation of West Nile virus (WNV), Usutu virus (USUV), and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) represents a threat to the European continent, and this is further complicated by the difficulty of obtaining an early and discriminating diagnosis of infection. Moreover, the possibility of introducing non-endemic pathogens, such as Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), further complicates accurate diagnosis. Current flavivirus diagnosis is based mainly on RT-PCR and detection of virus-specific antibodies. Yet, both techniques suffer from limitations, and the development of new assays that can provide an early, rapid, low-cost, and discriminating diagnosis of viral infection is warranted. In the pursuit of ideal diagnostic assays, flavivirus non-structural protein 1 (NS1) serves as an excellent target for developing diagnostic assays based on both the antigen itself and the antibodies produced against it. This review describes the potential of such NS1-based diagnostic methods, focusing on the application of flaviviruses that co-circulate in Europe.

Keywords: Europe; NS1; diagnosis; flavivirus.

Publication types

Review