Athapaththu, A.M.M.H.Khanna, N.Abeyewickreme, W.Gunasena, S.Hapugoda, M.D.2015-08-292015-08-292010Tropical Diseases Future Threats and New Paradigms, Proceedings of the Joint International Tropical Medicine Meeting & International Malaria Colloquium 2010 :103http://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/9360Oral Presentation Abstract of Joint International Tropical Medicine Meeting (JITMM 2010) & International Malaria Colloquium (IMC2010) 1-3 December 2010 Bangkok, ThailandOBJECTIVES: Chikungunya is a mosquito borne viral infection that has caused great medical and public health problems in South East Asia during last few years. Currently available laboratory diagnostic kits depend on Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) based on whole viral antigens caused biohazard risk, high production cost and cross reactivity with other organisms of the same genus/family. These problems can be avoided by using recombinant protein antigens in ELISAs. METHODOLOGY: Two novel recombinant protein antigens based on Envelope (E) domain, a critical antigenic region of the major structural protein of chikungunya virus were expressed separately in a bacterial expression system (Escherichia coli). Two proteins were purified under denatured conditions. They were evaluated as potential diagnostic intermediates for detection of and-chikungunya antibodies in Immunoglobulin M (IgM) and Immunoglobulin G (IgG) ELISAs separately using a panel of serum samples confirmed by the gold standard assay, Heamagglutination Inhibition (HAI) assayRESULTS: These 2 protein antigens: El and E2 showed more than 60% positivity in IgG ELISAs and IgM ELISAs. A field validation using a large number of serum samples should be done for further confirmation of these results. It can be concluded that these 2 novel recombinant protein antigens can be used as a diagnostic intermediate to detect anti-chikungunya antibodies. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Financial assistance from the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (1CGEB CRP/ SRI08-02) is gratefully acknowledgeden-USChikungunya virusEnzyme-Linked Immunosorbent AssayEnzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay-methodsRecombinant ProteinsReverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain ReactionConference AbstractParasitologyMolecular Medicine Unit