Bioinformatics evaluation of the homologues of Schistosoma mansoni biomarker proteins of bladder cancer in other Schistosoma species

Schistosomiasis remains a public health problem in developing countries. An ideal diagnostic test capable of detecting parasites as early as possible after the onset of infection is therefore highly desired. The identification of biomarker proteins associated with active infection and immune response may constitute the basis for the development of a successful diagnostic test. The aim of this study is to contribute to the development of protein biomarkers for schistosomiasis using a bioinformatics approach. The homologues of 36 previously identified urine biomarker proteins from a Schistosoma mansoni database, were identified in other Schistosoma species using SMARTBLAST and analyzed for similarities and differences using multiple sequence alignment. Of the 36 S. mansoni biomarker proteins, 29 had homologues with both S. haematobium and S. japonicum or either of S. haematobium and S. japonicum. Most of the 29 S. mansoni biomarker proteins aligned with their homologues with many conserved regions. However, some vital biomarker proteins like venom allergen-like proteins, which had been proposed as a putative drug and vaccine target, showed more semi conserved regions in which the amino acids had similar shape but weakly similar properties. The predictions of 12 markers found in all three species also show that treatment of infections may possibly benefit from the investigational drug Artenimol and specific nutraceuticals or supplements. Experimental evaluation is needed to confirm the potential of the proteins as biomarkers for early diagnosis of schistosomiasis and associated bladder cancer.