Research for Specific Proteins of Interest for the Serological Diagnosis of Bird Fancier's Lung

Overview

This study aims at identifying bird proteins useful for diagnostic tests to determine the cause of Bird Fancier's Lung (BFL).

Allergic diseases are an important part of health concerns in Europe and in countries "industrialized". Among them are distinguished from hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), consecutive to repeated inhalation of organic substances (bacteria, fungi, avian proteins ...). As with other HP, the BFL is a invalidating disease, but usually not lethal if the patient reduced sufficiently early exposure to antigens. Associated symptoms include breathing difficulties a dry cough, a general fatigued state accompanied by a fever and a rapid and pronounced weight loss. These clinical signs may be similar to a flu-like condition, difficult to discern from other respiratory disease. Diagnosis is based on a set of clinical, radiological and biological arguments that are often discussed. Using these criteria as predictors would increase opportunities to diagnose HP without using invasive clinical examinations such as biopsy and bronchoalveolar lavage. Although serology is a useful argument for the diagnosis, its value is often criticized. Thus, significant variations in performance of serological tests are observed from one provider to another and, for the same supplier, from one batch to another. This issue could be raised by the use of recombinant antigens. The principle is to use only to the reaction the purified protein of interest produced by genetic engineering. The Parasitology-Mycology department has acquired expertise in the research of proteins of interest for serology allergic diseases and in the manufacture of recombinant antigens. Thus the work of the team have identified proteins of interest for the diagnosis of two HP of occupational origin and translates this expertise to identify pigeon's proteins and study the feasibility of this research. For this project, the pigeon droppings (Columba livia), collected from different breeders in the region were identified as antigenic source. The objective of the HYPERSENS project is to extend the problematic to other species of birds and understand the specific species of antigenic proteins. The aim is also to identify and produce recombinant proteins that will identify the cause of avian hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

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