Characterizing stages of syphilis infection using plasma proteomics
Date
2026
Authors
Yang, Stephanie
Goodyear, Mara C.
Comfort, Sydney
Azmin, Ramin
Dechka, Jennifer
Hunter, Ian
Smith, Derek
Goodlett, David R.
Lee, Amy H.
Grennan, Troy
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Victoria
Abstract
Syphilis is a multistage disease caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum. Differentiating between early and late latent infections is important as individuals diagnosed at each of these stages require different antibiotic treatment regimes; however, current diagnostic tests for syphilis are unable to distinguish between the early latent and late latent stages. In addition to diagnostic challenges, a deeper understanding of host-pathogen interactions is important for the development of more effective intervention strategies. Although in vitro studies have identified host processes disrupted by T. pallidum infection, how these processes change over the course of infection and how they manifest in clinical samples remains poorly understood. My project addresses this gap by using clinical plasma samples from individuals diagnosed at different stages of syphilis infection. Plasma proteomics is then used to characterize proteins and pathways that are differentially expressed across stages of syphilis. An additional objective is to identify potential host biomarkers to distinguish early latent syphilis from late latent syphilis.
Description
Keywords
syphilis, infection, plasma proteomics, disease progression, UVic Genome BC Proteomics Centre, Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA)