MODIFICATIONS OF THE ASCARIS IDENTIFICATION METHOD BASED ON MASS SPECTROMETRY

Abstract

Currently, the diagnosis of helminthic diseases is based on microscopic observation of various stages of parasites, but microscopy is subjective and directly related to the competence of the researcher. Against this backdrop, researchers have described laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) as a potential innovative proteomic analysis tool for helminth identification and differentiation. The purpose of the research is to search for alternative consumables (lysis buffers) in connection with import substitution. For the study, the head ends of Ascaris lumbricoides, male and female (5 specimens each) were taken. The comparative protein profile of the ascarids by mass/charge ratio in the Flex analysis program revealed similar graphs of the head parts of the askaris (male and female) processed with lysis buffer from the Sepsityper Kit 50 and with buffer from the PCR kit. The results of the study show the possibility of species differentiation of nematodes using the MALDI-TOF MS method. Coincidences of informational data were found, which makes it possible to subsequently replace the lysis buffers. New approaches have been studied for more thorough processing of spectra and their visualization using the MALDI Biotyper software. The probability of replacing the lysis buffer from the Sepsityper Kit 50 with the lysis buffer used in PCR was shown.