Trichomonas tenax is a flagellated protozoan that inhabits the human and canine oral cavity in patients with poor oral hygiene and periodontal disease. The loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay could provide clinicians with a quick, cheap and reliable diagnostic test used for the detection of T. tenax in various settings. In this study, we aimed to develop a LAMP assay that can detect T. tenax with high sensitivity and specificity. A set of LAMP primers were specifically designed to detect the ITS and 5.8S rRNA gene of T. tenax. The newly developed LAMP assay was 1000 times more sensitive than conventional PCR. The limit of detection of the LAMP assay was 10 fg of genomic DNA, or 0.2–1 cell. Moreover, the LAMP assay was specific, resulting in no cross-reaction even with a closely related protozoan T. vaginalis or other microorganisms (Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and Candida albicans) used. The present LAMP assay can be performed directly without prior DNA extraction, making the assay an easy, fast, cheap, specific and sensitive diagnostic tool for the detection of T. tenax at the point-of-care of both medical and veterinary clinics in developed and developing countries.

Cysteine proteases, also known as thiol proteases, are a class of nucleophilic proteolytic enzymes containing cysteine residues in the enzymatic domain. These proteases generally play a pivotal role in many biological reactions, such as catabolic functions and protein processing, in all living organisms. They specifically take part in many important biological processes, especially in the absorption of nutrients, invasion, virulence, and immune evasion of parasitic organisms from unicellular protozoa to multicellular helminths. They can also be used as parasite diagnostic antigens and targets for gene modification and chemotherapy, as well as vaccine candidates, due to their species and even life-cycle stage specificity. This article highlights current knowledge on parasitic cysteine protease types, biological functions, and their applications in immunodiagnosis and chemotherapy.

Trichomonas tenax is a flagellated protozoan parasite found in the oral cavities of humans and animals and has been associated with periodontal disease, the most prevalent inflammatory disease affecting them all. Studies have shown that T. tenax can cause damage to mammalian cells and secretes virulent proteins, such as cysteine. It is presently considered zoonotic. Despite the few studies that have been done, the pathogenicity of this oral protozoan is still not fully understood. A database search was performed in July 2022 using PubMed and Google Scholar to retrieve data eligible for this study. PRISMA-ScR guidelines were followed to conduct this scoping review. A total of 321 articles were found with 87 included in this review after applying the exclusion criteria. Due to its increasing prevalence worldwide in both humans and dogs, detecting and elucidating the pathogenicity of this parasite is paramount for effective global control and prevention of periodontal disease. However, there is a paucity in the literature on this neglected zoonotic trichomonad, which is in large contrast to the closely related human pathogen T. vaginalis. Here, we comprehensively review the history, morphology and reproduction, host, prevalence, diagnosis, pathogenicity, control, and prevention of T. tenax. Hopefully, this article will call attention to both medical and veterinary professionals as well as epidemiologists on this most neglected and zoonotic protozoan. More epidemiological and clinical studies need to be conducted on T. tenax to gain a better understanding of its pathogenicity, to increase the chances of developing effective drugs to aid in the control of this oral parasite, and reduce the spread of periodontal disease worldwide.

Trichomonas tenax is a flagellated parasite that plays an important role in periodontal disease, with high prevalence worldwide. Its pathogenesis remains largely unknown, and there is very little information on its genome. Here, we present the whole-genome shotgun sequence of T. tenax strain Hs-4:NIH.