Evaluation of an automated complement fixation test (Seramat) for the detection of chlamydial antibodies in sheep and goat sera

Veterinary Research Communications -     

Comparison of the dot-immunobinding assay with the complement fixation test for the detection of Brucella antibodies in sheep

A dot-immunobinding assay (DIA), using as antigen a sonic extract of Brucella abortus dotted on nitrocellulose bound to a plastic strip, was employed for the detection of Brucella antibodies in 666 sheep sera. The results were compared with the complement fixation test (CFT). All the 242 sera belonging to two flocks were found to be negative by DIA. CFT was negative in 239 cases, whereas three samples showed anti-complementary activity. Of the 424 sera from the remaining three flocks, 98 were positive by both tests and six were positive in DIA, but negative in CFT. In addition, 14 of the 19 anti-complementary sera were also positive by DIA.     

A comparative examination of swine sera for antibody to Aujeszky virus with the conventional and a modified virus-serum neutralization test and a modified direct complement fixation test.

Sera of pigs from élite breeding herds, of boars and sows collected at slaughter-houses, and of pigs from herds known to be infected, were examined for antibody to Aujeszky virus. The conventional and a modified virus-neutralizing antibody (VNA) test and a modified direct complement fixation (CF) test were employed. In simultaneous titrations of positive sera the modified VNA test gave titers approx. 4 log2 units above the titers obtained by the conventional test. The conventional VNA test was found insufficiently sensitive. Unspecific neutralization in the modified VNA test was infrequent in serum dilution 1/2 and rare in dilution 1/4. The GF tests on sera of slaughter sows and animals from known infected herds showed a remarkable consistency with the VNA tests. Inconsistent results were obtained with but few sera. Abt. 5 % of the sera could not be examined because of complement fixation with control antigen.     

Comparison of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and complement fixation test for detecting Brucella ovis antibodies in sheep

A solid-phase, indirect, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was compared with the microtitre complement fixation test for detecting Brucella ovis antibodies in 220 ram sera. The ELISA was more sensitive than the complement fixation test; it demonstrated antibodies in 11 sera from known infected or vaccinated rams that were complement fixation test negative. No false positives were recorded with the ELISA and, in 36 sera positive to both tests, the ELISA titres were consistently higher than the corresponding complement fixation test titres.     

Detection of arbovirus antibodies in avian sera by the complement fixation-inhibition test.

The complement fixation-inhibition (CFI) test was described for the detection of antibodies to arboviruses in bird sera. The CFI antibody present in bird sera inhibited the standard complement-fixation reaction of a reference complement-fixing antigen-antibody pair. Using reference antigens (St. Louis encephalitis, eastern equine encephalomyelitis, western equine encephalomyelitis, and yellow fever) prepared from infected mouse brains and reference antisera prepared in rabbits or horses, reproducible CFI antibody titers were obtained in artificially immunized chickens. Time-course studies on the CFI immune response in birds inoculated with live St. Louis encephalitis virus indicated that the CFI antibody was distinct from the antibody detected by the hemagglutination-inhibition test.     

Sensitivity and specificity of the complement fixation test for detection of cattle persistently infected with Anaplasma marginale.

The complement fixation (CF) test commonly is used to identify cattle infected with Anaplasma marginale prior to interstate or international movement. Estimates of the accuracy of the CF test in detecting animals persistently infected with A. marginale vary widely. In this study, the sensitivity and specificity of the CF test for detection of carrier animals was determined using serum from 232 cattle previously defined as A. marginale positive or negative by nested polymerase chain reaction methods and hybridization. Considering results from 2 independent laboratories and interpreting a 1:5 suspect reaction as positive, the best estimate of CF test sensitivity was 20%, with a specificity of 98%. Using a 1:10 cutoff, sensitivity decreased to 14% and specificity increased to 99%. Results of this study indicate that the CF test is ineffective for identifying cattle persistently infected with A. marginale and thus is inadequate for anaplasmosis regulatory and surveillance programs.     

Adaption of ELISA for the detection of Campylobacter antibodies and its application in seroepidemiological studies in sheep and cattle herds

ELISA was adapted for the study of antigenic relations among important Campylobacters and for the presence of anti-campylo-bacter antibodies in 394 sheep and 265 cattle. Rabbit anti-C. jejuni, C. coli, G. fetus subsp. fetus and C. laridis heat-stable antigen sera were evaluated against 29 Campylobacter strains and 6 other bacteria. Anti-C. jejuni and G. coli reacted strongly with homologous antigens and weakly with C. fetus subsp. fetus, C. laridis and C. fecalis antigens. C. fetus subsp. fetus serum reacted mainly with its homologous antigen. C. laridis serum showed closer reactivity to C. jejuni than to C. fetus subsp. fetus, C. coli and C. fecalis. Insignificant cross-reactions were observed with Y. enterocolitica, S. dublin and E. aerogenes heat-stable antigens, Ewes vaccinated with C. fetus subsp. fetus bacterin showed higher ELISA titers against C. fetus subsp. fetus antigens than non-vaccinated ewes or rams. Twenty-five percent of the vaccinated animals showed titers as low as 95 % of the non-vaccinated animals. In cattle the lowest antibody titers against C. fetus subsp. fetus, C. jejuni, C. coli and C. laridis antigens were exhibited by the precolostrum sera followed by the postcolostrum and adult sera. These studies demonstrated the applicability of the ELISA test in seroepidemiological investigations concerning the distribution and significance of Campylobacter antibodies in food animal sera.     

Comparison of a modified counterimmunoelectrophoresis test and a microimmunodiffusion test for detection of pseudorabies virus antibodies in porcine sera.

The correlation of a modified counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE) test and a microimmunodiffusion test for detecting pseudorabies virus antibodies in porcine sera was investigated, using as reference a standard virus neutralization test. The counterimmunoelectrophoresis test exhibited a sensitivity comparable to the microimmunodiffusion test but was not as sensitive as the virus neutralization test. The best feature of the modified counterimmunoelectrophoresis test is that it is a rapid test. It provides an alternative to currently used diagnostic tests for detection of pseudorabies virus antibodies in sera from field reared and experimentally reared swine exposed to pseudorabies virus.     

Dot immunobinding assay for the detection of bluetongue virus antibodies in sheep experimentally inoculated with bluetongue virus type 1.

Dot immunobinding assay (DIA) was evaluated for the detection of bluetongue virus (BTV) antibodies in sheep experimentally inoculated with BTV 1. Serum samples collected on 14, 21, 28, 43 and 60 day post infection (dpi) were positive for precipitating antibodies by the agar gel precipitation test (AGPT) while antibodies could be detected as early as 7 dpi by DIA and ELISA. Virus neutralizing antibodies were detected first at 14 dpi. The sensitivity of the four tests was compared on the same serum samples collected at different intervals. The results indicated that DIA was more sensitive than AGPT and the serum neutralization test and as sensitive as ELISA. Thus due to sensitivity simplicity and economy, DIA could replace AGPT for diagnosis and serological survey for BTV infection in animals.     

Detection of Campylobacter antibodies in sheep sera by a Dot-ELISA using acid extracts from c. fetus ssp. fetus and c. jejuni strains and comparison with a complement fixation test

In this study, a dot-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Dot-ELISA) was evaluated in comparison with a complement fixation test (CFT) for the detection of Campylobacter antibodies in sheep sera. Acid glycine extracts (AGE) of both Campylobacter fetus ssp. fetus and Campylobacter jejuni strains that had been isolated from the gall-bladder of slaughtered sheep was used as antigen in both tests. A total of 153 sheep sera from aborted (74) and slaughtered (79) sheep were examined by both Dot-ELISA and CFT. Twenty-two sera showed anti-complementary activity were not suitable for CFT. Of the 22 sera showing anti-complementary activity, two sera were found to be positive in Dot-ELISA. Eighty-eight (67.2%) of the remaining 131 sera were negative by both Dot-ELISA and CFT using AGE of both Campylobacter strains whereas 43 sera (32.8%) gave different reaction patterns in Dot-ELISA and CFT with the extracts of both Campylobacter strains. Twelve sera were positive by both tests using AGE of C. fetus ssp. fetus but CFT failed to detect antibodies in nine of these sera when AGE of C. jejuni was used. Twelve sera were positive by both tests only when AGE of C. fetus ssp. fetus was used. Eleven sera were positive only by CFT. Seven of these reacted only with the AGE of C. fetus ssp. fetus and four sera were positive by using AGE of both Campylobacter strains. The remaining eight sera were found to be positive only by dot-immunobinding assay either with the AGE of both Campylobacter strains or with the AGE of one of the Campylobacter strains. It is concluded that Dot-ELISA using AGE from C. fetus ssp. fetus could be employed for the detection of Campylobacter antibodies in sheep sera and the additional use of AGE from C. jejuni as antigen appeared not to be profitable for this purpose.     

Foot-and-mouth disease: detection of antibodies in cattle sera by blocking ELISA.

A blocking ELISA was developed for the detection of antibodies to foot-and-mouth disease virus SAT1, SAT2 and SAT3 and for the quantification of antibodies on a single dilution of serum. The avidin-biotin system was used. The test was compared with the liquid-phase ELISA executed at the World Reference Laboratory for foot-and-mouth disease. It was found to have favourable logistics and combined high specificity with high sensitivity. The quantitative test using a single dilution of serum was resource saving and proved to be a reliable and precise method for the assessment of antibody levels.     

A reappraisal of the complement fixation test using soluble Mycobacterium avium antigen for the detection of M. paratuberculosis infection in cattle

Serums from 263 cattle suspected of having paratuberculosis on the basis of clinical signs, were tested for antibodies to Mycobacterium paratuberculosis with a complement fixation test (CFT) employing a heat extracted, soluble M. avium antigen. Microscopic examination confirmed that 172 (65.4%) clinically affected animals had paratuberculosis, the remainder being disease-free. The specificity and sensitivity of the CFT was 92.3% and 74.4% respectively. Phenol treatment of serums before testing was compared with no treatment and was found to have no significant effect on the CFT titres. Results obtained are discussed in relation to the cause of false negative and false positive reactions.     

微量补体结合试验检测牛、羊副结核病的研究

采用《中华人民共和国出入境检验检疫行业标准》“副结核病补体结合试验操作规程”方法(简称常量法)和微量补体结合试验(简称微量法)检测3677头进口牛羊的副结核病抗体并进行比较。结果表明，常量法和微量法的溶血素效价测定值相同，补体效价测定值近似，阴性血清对照、抗原对照、补体对照、红细胞对照、血清抗补体结合对照结果均相同，阳性对照血清效价微量法比常量法提高1个滴度，被检血清的阳性检出率微量法高于常量法。比较37℃水浴及37℃恒温培养箱环境下的微量法补体结合试验结果，溶血素效价、补体效价、各项对照试验结果完全相同，被检血清在37℃水浴反应更加充分。比较用变态试验和补体结合试验检验3677头牛羊副结核病的结果、以及用补体结合试验、变态反应和酶联免疫吸附试验方法同时检测2024头牛的结果，发现它们的相关性很小。