Diagnostic to distinguish bacterial infections
View Patent ↗Assays, arrays, and methods for distinguishing a bacterial infection from a viral infection are disclosed. The antibiotic crisis is in part driven by over prescription of antibiotics. There is a tendency, particular in pediatrics, to give an antibiotic even for viral infections. Thus, embodiments herein are directed to the problem of distinguishing a bacterial infection from a viral infection to reduce unnecessary antibiotic usage.
1. A method to distinguish a bacterial infection from a viral infection, the method comprising:
contacting an antibody-containing sample with an array of immobilized peptides, wherein said peptides are selected from a group consisting of one or more peptides that bind to antibodies produced in response to a bacterial infection and one or more peptides that bind to antibodies produced in response to a viral infection, wherein the array of immobilized peptides comprises SEQ ID NO: 1 and SEQ ID NO: 2; and
detecting binding of an antibody from said sample with a peptide from said group.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the array of immobilized peptides comprises at least 125,000 different peptides.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the array of immobilized peptides comprises at least 1,000 different peptides.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein SEQ ID NO: 1 comprises a motif able to bind to one or more antibodies produced in response to a bacterial infection and the motif comprises SEQ ID NO: 3.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein SEQ ID NO: 2 comprises a first motif and a second motif able to bind to one or more antibodies produced in response to a bacterial infection, wherein the first motif comprises SEQ ID NO: 4 and the second motif comprises SEQ ID NO: 5.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said immobilized peptides are selected using a two-tail t-test result having a p-value less than 1/125,000.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said antibodies produced in response to a bacterial infection and said antibodies produced in response to a viral infection are human antibodies.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample is a blood or serum sample.
9. The method of claim 1 , further including the step of treating a patient with a bacterial infection with antibiotics.
10. The method of claim 1 , further including the step of treating a patient with a viral infection with an anti-viral medicament.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the array of immobilized peptides comprises one or more peptides that bind to antibodies produced in response to a bacterial infection, one or more peptides that bind to antibodies produced in response to a viral infection, and one or more peptides that do not bind to antibodies produced in response either to a bacterial infection or to a viral infection.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the anti-viral medicament is nitazoxanide.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bacterial infection is a Bordetella pertussis, Borrelia , Lyme, Syphilis, or Tuberculosis infection.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the viral infection is a Dengue, Flu, Hepatitis B, HIV, or WNV infection.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample is a plasma sample.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting binding of an antibody comprises incubating with a secondary antibody.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antibody-containing sample is contacted with an array of immobilized peptides for one hour.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein contacting an antibody-containing sample with an array of immobilized peptides is performed in duplicate.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antibody from said sample is an IgG antibody.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein said sample is from a patient experiencing a respiratory tract infection or pediatric sepsis.