OBJECTIVE: Complexation of rHuKGF with mucoadhesive low molecular weight chitosan to protect rHuKGF from proteolysis and investigate the effect of chitosan-rHuKGF complex on the proliferation rate of FHs 74 Int cells.
METHODS: The interaction between chitosan and rHuKGF was studied by molecular docking. Malvern ZetaSizer Nano Zs and Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) tests were carried out to characterize the chitosan-rHuKGF complex. In addition, SDS-PAGE was performed to investigate the interaction between chitosan-rHuKGF complex and pepsin. The effect of chitosan-rHuKGF complex on the proliferation rate of FHs 74 Int cells was studied by MTT assay.
RESULTS: Chitosan-rHuKGF complex was formed through the hydrogen bonding proven by the docking studies. A stable chitosan-rHuKGF complex was formed at pH 4.5 and was protected from proteolysis and assessed by SDS PAGE. According to the MTT assay results, chitosan-rHuKGF complex increased the cell proliferation rate of FHs 74 Int cells.
CONCLUSION: The developed complex improved the stability and the biological function of rHuKGF.
METHODS: Recombinant PPDK (rPPDK) was expressed, purified and evaluated by Western blot. In parallel, recombinant galactose-and-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine inhibitable lectin (Gal/GalNAc lectin) was produced and tested similarly. The protein identity was confirmed by analysis using MALDI-TOF/TOF. A lateral flow dipstick (LFD) test using rPPDK was subsequently developed (rPPDK-LFD) and evaluated for serodiagnosis of ALA.
RESULTS: rPPDK was expressed as soluble protein after 4 hours of induction with 1 mM isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) at 30°C. Purification using nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni-NTA) resin yielded 1.5 mg of rPPDK from 1 L of culture with estimated molecular mass of 98 kDa on SDS-PAGE. Western blots using sera from patients with ALA, healthy individuals and other diseases probed with anti-human IgG4-HRP showed the highest sensitivity (93.3%) and specificity (100%); as compared to blots using IgG and IgG1 as secondary antibodies. Moreover, rPPDK showed better specificity when compared to rGal/GalNAc lectin. In the development of the LFD test, the optimum amount of rPPDK was 0.625 μg per dipstick and the optimum working concentration of colloidal gold conjugated anti-human IgG4 was optical density (OD) 5 (1.7 μg of anti-human IgG4). Evaluation of rPPDK-LFD using ALA patients and controls serum samples showed 87% diagnostic sensitivity and 100% specificity.
CONCLUSION: The developed rPPDK-LFD showed good potential for rapid diagnosis of ALA, and merit further multicentre validation using larger number of serum samples.