• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to footer
  • Estudantes
    • Webmail
    • Moodle
    • Ensino à Distância
    • NetP@
    • Biblioteca
    • Escola Doutoral
    • Serviços Académicos
    • Trabalhar no IHMT
  • Staff
    • Webmail
    • Área de Docentes
    • Área de Não-Docentes

IHMT

Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical

PortuguêsEnglishFrançaisDeutschEspañol

Universidade Nova de Lisboa

  • O Instituto
    • Sobre o IHMT
    • Órgãos de governo
    • Docentes e investigadores
    • Estatutos e regulamentos
    • Concursos e bolsas
  • Ensino
    • Doutoramentos
    • Mestrados
    • Cursos de Especialização
    • Cursos de Curta Duração
    • Ensino à Distância
    • Apoio ao Desenvolvimento
    • Informações e formulários
  • Investigação
    • GHTM
  • Unidades de Ensino e de Investigação
  • Doenças Tropicais
    • Consulta do Viajante
    • Glossário
    • Museu
    • Vídeos
    • MosquitoWeb
Home / News / Innovative Approach for the Diagnosis of Pneumocystis Pneumonia

Innovative Approach for the Diagnosis of Pneumocystis Pneumonia

4 Novembro, 2016

Paulo Ferrinho, diretor do IHMT, (ao centro) e Olga Matos, Fernando Cardoso, Ana Luísa Tomás e Francisco Esteves (da esquerda para a direita)
Paulo Ferrinho, IHMT’s director (center) and the research team: Olga Matos, Fernando Cardoso, Ana Luísa Tomás e Francisco Esteves (left to right)

A study authored by IHMT’s researchers Olga Matos, Ana Luísa Tomás e Fernando Cardoso, and Francisco Esteves, from NOVA Medical School, presents an innovative approach for the diagnosis of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PcP) that consists on a serological test, allowing the diagnosis of PcP using blood, an inexpensive and non-invasive specimen. Until now, diagnosis has relied on the detection of P. jirovecii in respiratory specimens obtained by invasive techniques.

Pneumocystis jirovecii is an atypical opportunistic fungus capable of causing severe interstitial pneumonia that remains the leading AIDS-defining illness in European countries and the USA. Furthermore, PcP is an emerging concern in immunosuppressed non-HIV-infected patients subjected to immunosuppressive therapies due to cancer, organ transplant or autoimmune diseases.

The research team combined the production of a multi-epitope synthetic recombinant antigen (RSA) and an ELISA test for detection of anti-P. jirovecii antibodies. The RSA was selected and designed based on the study of the immunogenicity of the carboxyl-terminal domain of the major surface glycoprotein. This antigen was purified and used as an antigenic tool in an ELISA technique, which has presented a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 80.8%, when associated with the clinical diagnosis criteria. This approach provides good insights about what can be done in the future serum testing for PcP diagnosis.

The research work has already given rise to a provisional patent application.

To learn more:

  • Read here the complete scientific article

Share this content:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Reader Interactions

Footer

  • Sobre o IHMT
  • Órgãos de governo
  • Docentes e Investigadores
  • Serviços Académicos
  • Recursos Humanos
  • Trabalhar no IHMT
  • Instrumentos de Gestão
  • Associação de Alunos e Amigos
  • Parcerias
  • Biblioteca
  • Biobanco GHTM-IHMT – Biotropical Resources
  • Ensino
  • Investigação
  • Cooperação e Desenvolvimento
  • Qualidade

Contactos

Rua da Junqueira, 100
1349-008 Lisboa
Portugal
+351 213 652 600
+351 213 632 105

Contactos dos Serviços

Marcação de consultas:
+351 213 652 630/90
+351 213 627 553
medicina.viagens@ihmt.unl.pt

Subscrever newsletter

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
© Copyright 2021 IHMT-UNL Todos os Direitos Reservados.
  • Universidade Nova de Lisboa
  • Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

    Project UID/Multi/04413/2013

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok