Biomarkers for schistosomiasis: Towards an integrative view of the search for an effective diagnosis

•Several proteins were identified in different forms of the parasite life cycle.•Tegumental proteins have important role when applied on the differential diagnosis of schistosomiasis.•Egg antigens are continuously related to cross-reactivity due mostly to highly immunogenic glycans.•Schistosomula antigens have been validated as important markers for acute phase diagnosis.

Human schistosomiasis, caused mainly by Schistosoma mansoni, S. japonicum, and S. hematobium, remains a prevalent and serious parasitic disease worldwide. Although it is a debilitating disease, a lack of sensitive methods for the precise diagnosis of active infection cases is important to prevent morbidity. The optimization of new diagnostic approaches may be accomplished by the selection of specific markers. In that manner, markers can be satisfactorily used for detection of different phases of infection, as acute and chronic phases, pre-patent and post-patent phases and after chemotherapy, improving the efficiency of methods. For that purpose, proteomics and glycomics analyses have been performed in schistosomes, in particular S. mansoni, using powerful high-throughput methodologies. These investigations have not only chartered protein, o-glycan and n-glycan profiles across developmental stages within mammalian host, but are also leading to the characterization of features of the surface tegument, the eggshell and excretory–secretory proteomes of schistosomes.

Graphical abstractWe present an overview of all relevant investigations designed for the identification of proteins as markers for the schistosomiasis diagnosis.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide