Serologic immunoreactivity to Neospora caninum antigens in dogs determined by indirect immunofluorescence, western blotting and dot-ELISA

Neospora caninum, is a coccidian protozoan known as a major cause of bovine abortion and canine neuropathies. The aim of the present study was to develop a reliable and quick test to detect antibodies to N. caninum in dog sera. Sixty-five serum samples from dogs, including 35 positive and 30 negative for N. caninum antibodies were used for standardization of the test. In parallel, immunoreactivity of the sera to Toxoplasma gondii antigens was investigated using a passive agglutination test. A dot-ELISA test, using soluble extract of N. caninum tachyzoites on nitrocellulose ester membranes, was developed and standardized. SDS-PAGE and complementary analysis of reactivity by Western blotting were used for the characterization of the immunoreactive fractions of all tested sera. The sensitivity and specificity of the dot-ELISA were 94 and 73%, respectively, compared to IFAT at a cut-off of 1:50, and 87 and 100% compared to IFAT at a cut-off of 1:25. Among the sera that tested positively for both IFAT and dot-ELISA, only 8.6% were reactive to T. gondii. The most immunoreactive fractions in Western blots were the 14-, 33-, 42- and 55 kDa bands, with percentages of 42, 60, 42 and 37%, respectively. The 60 kDa band showed a non-specific reaction in 43% of neosporosis-negative animals by both dot-ELISA and IFAT. These results indicate that the dot-ELISA using N. caninum antigen present good sensitivity and specificity, and might be used as a screening test to detect antibodies to N. caninum in dogs.     

The application of the indirect fluorescent antibody test in research on heartwater

The preparation of the antigen, details of the reagents, the titration of the antispecies conjugates and the execution of the indirect fluorescent antibody test are described. The sensitivity and specificity of the test and its applicability to the detection of antibodies to Cowdria ruminantium are recorded. The test is both highly specific and sensitive and can be applied to a wide range of studies on heartwater, including epidemiology, determination of the C. ruminantium infection rate of Amblyomma ticks and the evaluation of immunization against heartwater. The test can also be used to detect antibodies to the heartwater agent in the sera of game.     

Evaluation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect specific antibodies in pigs infested with the tick Ornithodoros erraticus (Argasidae)

Ornithodoros erraticus is known to transmit the virus that causes the highly contagious disease, African Swine Fever, in Spain. As part of the disease eradication campaign, an ELISA test to detect specific antibodies against the tick was developed. The ELISA, using salivary gland preparations as an antigen, showed high sensitivity and was able to detect as few as 10 adult ticks. The specific antibodies were detected in the sera 6 weeks after the primary infestation and strongly increased after the challenge. The utility of this test under field conditions was also tested.     

Use of an immunoperoxidase test for the detection of bovine herpesvirus-1 in aborted fetal tissue

An indirect immunoperoxidase (IP) procedure using a specific monoclonal antibody and an avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex was developed and applied to detect virus antigen in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections. This IP procedure was compared with currently used diagnostic tests for detection of virus-induced abortions caused by bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1). The IP procedure was applied to detect BHV-1 antigen in sections of liver and lung from 87 aborted fetuses. Sixteen of these cases were positive for viral antigen by IP staining. Sections from both liver and lung were positive in 15 of the 16 cases. A fluorescent antibody test (FA), which was applied to acetone-fixed frozen sections of liver and lung, gave positive results on 12 of the 87 fetuses, 11 of which were also positive by IP. Seven of the 12 FA-positive cases were positive on both sections of liver and lung. When FA and IP were compared. FA had a sensitivity of 67% and IP had a sensitivity of 94%. Virus was isolated from one of the 67 cases tested. The tissues in which antigen was most frequently detected by IP were liver, lung, and kidney. Distinct multifocal staining was seen in positive sections of all these tissues.     

牛型分枝杆菌MPB70蛋白胶乳凝集方法的建立及应用

为了研究牛结核病新型诊断试剂，提高诊断的特异性和敏感性，我们用大肠杆菌工程菌表达了牛型分枝杆菌特异性抗原MPB70并提纯蛋白建立了牛结核病乳胶凝集试验（LAT）诊断方法。MPB70是一种牛型分枝杆菌特异性分泌而卡介苗BCG缺失的蛋白质，热稳定性好，用此蛋白建立的乳胶凝集方法具有良好的敏感性、特异性以及较长的保存期，检测70份临床奶牛血清，与皮内变态反应和间接血凝方法相比较分别具有71．4％和88．6％的符合率。该方法还可鉴别诊断自然感染和疫苗免疫接种。我们建立的牛型分枝杆菌MPB70蛋白乳胶凝集试验诊断方法将分子生物学手段和经典试验方法有机结合，为临床快速检测牛结核病血清特异性抗体水平提供了行之有效的方法。     

An antigen capture ELISA test using monoclonal antibodies for the detection of Mycoplasma californicum in milk

The use of monoclonal antibodies to detect Mycoplasma californicum was investigated in an antigen capture microtitre format. The finalized test was highly specific and no cross-reactions were detectable with any of the mastitis associated mycoplasma or bacterial antigens tested. Using a concentration step involving centrifugation, the sensitivity of the test could be improved from 10(5)-10(7) to 10(3)-10(5) colony forming units per ml with pure broth cultures, and from 10(7) to at least 10(6) colony forming units per ml in milk samples from two experimentally infected cows. The antigen detected was partially identified by immunoblotting, which demonstrated two polypeptides of 40 and 46 kD.     

Airway hypersensitivity induced by Ascaris suum extract in New Zealand Romney sheep

Sheep from local farms with and without previous exposure to pigs were tested for their skin and airway responses to a commercial Ascaris suum antigen. There was an immediate reaction to intradermal injection of the antigen in 90% of 101 sheep. A bronchial provocation test by aerosol of the same antigen was undertaken on 43 of the sheep with a positive skin reaction. About 70% of sheep showed an immediate airway response to the antigen as an aerosol, reflected as a significant increase in airway resistance and/or decrease of dynamic lung compliance. The mean peak airway resistance and mean lowest dynamic lung compliance were 165% above and 61% below their baselines, respectively. No significant changes were recorded when the same animals were given an aerosol of phosphate buffered saline. Similarly, no correlation was found between the degree of skin reaction and the magnitude of bronchoconstriction (p>0.05). The sheep with previous exposure to pigs showed no significant differences in airway responses to antigen challenge, although they showed significantly greater skin reactions than those without exposure to pigs. These results indicate that the majority of Romney sheep in the Manawatu have a natural skin and airway sensitivity to A. suum antigen and may therefore be used as an animal model to study human airway hypersensitivity. The origin of this sensitivity has yet to be determined.     

Airway hypersensitivity induced by Ascaris suum extract in New Zealand Romney sheep

Sheep from local farms with and without previous exposure to pigs were tested for their skin and airway responses to a commercial Ascaris suum antigen. There was an immediate reaction to intradermal injection of the antigen in 90% of 101 sheep. A bronchial provocation test by aerosol of the same antigen was undertaken on 43 of the sheep with a positive skin reaction. About 70% of sheep showed an immediate airway response to the antigen as an aerosol, reflected as a significant increase in airway resistance and/or decrease of dynamic lung compliance. The mean peak airway resistance and mean lowest dynamic lung compliance were 165% above and 61% below their baselines, respectively. No significant changes were recorded when the same animals were given an aerosol of phosphate buffered saline. Similarly, no correlation was found between the degree of skin reaction and the magnitude of bronchoconstriction (p>30.05). The sheep with previous exposure to pigs showed no significant differences in airway responses to antigen challenge, although they showed significantly greater skin reactions than those without exposure to pigs. These results indicate that the majority of Romney sheep in the Manawatu have a natural skin and airway sensitivity to A. suum antigen and may therefore be used as an animal model to study human airway hypersensitivity. The origin of this sensitivity has yet to be determined.     

Highly sensitive antigen detection procedures for the diagnosis of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis: amplified ELISA and reverse passive haemagglutination

The sensitivity of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of bovid herpesvirus 1 antigen was increased by up to 50-fold using the biotin-avidin interaction to amplify the reaction, when compared with a simple sandwich ELISA. An alternative immunoassay, reverse passive haemagglutination (RPHA), had a similar sensitivity to the amplified ELISA, and was technically simpler to perform. Both the amplified ELISA and the RPHA could detect viral antigen in the nasal secretions of calves undergoing experimental primary infection with the virus from Day 3 to Day 7 after inoculation. Neither assay was as sensitive as virus isolation in cell culture and they failed to detect antigen in virus-positive samples from the calves from 8 days after inoculation, and from vaccinated calves undergoing challenge infection.     

Specific in-vitro lymphocyte immunostimulation activities of Brucella abortus fractions obtained by column chromatography

A Brucella abortus soluble antigen (BASA) preparation and fractions obtained thereof, by column chromatography, were compared in terms of their ability to induce specific lymphocyte stimulation responses (LSR) in lymphocytes from cattle infected with B. abortus. Endotoxin and protein contents and the fractions were determined. The LSR induced by BASA and the fractions were compared in terms of correctly identifying samples from infected and non-infected cattle. The sensitivity and specificity for each preparation were determined and these two attributes were then correlated with endotoxin and protein content. The results suggest that lymphocyte stimulation had greater association with relative protein content than endotoxin content of the antigen preparations.     

Development and evaluation of a mixed long-chain lipopolysaccharide based ELISA for serological surveillance of infection with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotypes 2, 6 and 12 in pig herds

The objective was to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for simultaneous detection of antibodies against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (Ap) serotypes 2, 6 and 12. The assay was designated MIX-ELISA. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Ap serotypes 2, 6 and 12 was purified using hot phenol-water extraction followed by fractionation by size-exclusion chromatography. A mixture of fractions containing molecules with molecular weight above 50 kDa from all three serotypes was used as antigen. The MIX-ELISA was evaluated with sera from pigs experimentally infected with the serotypes 1, 2, 5b, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12 of Ap biotype 1. In addition to reaction with sera from pigs inoculated with Ap serotypes 2, 6 and 12, reaction was observed with sera from pigs inoculated with serotype 8. Furthermore, the sensitivity and specificity of the test on a herd level were evaluated with sera from herds naturally infected with serotypes 2, 6 or 12 and with sera from herds free of infection with any Ap serotype of biotype 1. The ELISA showed a high herd sensitivity (0.98; 95% confidence interval: 0.89-1.00) and specificity (0.95; 0.88-0.99). The high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the assay indicate that screening of herds for Ap infection can be performed using this ELISA. Efficient serological surveillance can be achieved by using such mixed antigen ELISAs coated with size-selected LPS-antigens from the most prevalent serotypes.     

Establishment of an efficient enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of Eperythrozoon sius antibody in swine

The Eperythrozoon suis (E. suis) antigen was purified using a Sephadex G-200 chromatograph, and thereby, a high-affinity, specific E. suis antigen was collected and confirmed with Western blotting. Using this antigen, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system to detect the antibody against E. suis in swine was established. There was no cross-reaction with swine sera, which were affected with Mycoplasmal pneumonia, swine fever, swine colibacillosis, or toxoplasmosis. A comparison of this ELISA system with an indirect hemagglutination (IHA) test using 78 swine samples revealed that the ELISA system significantly improved the sensitivity, specificity, and stability for the serodiagnosis of swine E. suis.     

H5N1和H9N2亚型禽流感病毒型特异性抗原捕捉ELISA检测方法的建立

采用禽流感病毒多克隆抗体及型特异性单克隆抗体，研究建立了型特异性抗原捕捉ELISA检测方法，用于检测H5N1和H9N2亚型禽流感病毒。优化了反应条件，确定了包被抗体、检测抗体及酶结合物的最佳工作浓度，对该方法的敏感性、特异性、重复性及稳定性进行了分析，并与病毒分离鉴定的结果进行了比较。结果表明，该方法敏感、特异，具有良好的重复性和稳定性，可用于临床样品及鸡胚、细胞培养物中禽流感病毒的检测。     

番鸭呼肠病毒抗体间接ELISA方法的建立

用硫酸铵粗提的番鸭呼肠病毒作为包被抗原,成功地建立了检测番鸭呼肠病毒抗体的间接ELISA方法。结果表明,包被抗原作1∶80稀释,待检血清作1∶40稀释,酶标二抗作1∶200稀释,是最佳的工作浓度,而且该法特异性高,重复性好,质量稳定,敏感性强,结果可靠,是一种适合于流行病血清学调查的快速、敏感、准确、特异、重复性好的方法。     

鸭出血症病毒间接ELISA检测方法的建立与应用

为了建立快速检测鸭出血症病毒(DHDV)的血清学方法,本试验利用浓缩纯化的DHDV作为包被抗原,建立了检测DHDV血清抗体的间接ELISA方法,并对各种检测条件进行了优化。试验结果表明,抗原最佳稀释浓度为7.06 μg/孔;最佳包被条件为37 ℃ 1 h后,4 ℃包被过夜;待检血清的最佳稀释倍数为1:25。在优化条件下,阴阳性临界值判定标准为0.44。建立的ELISA方法对鸭瘟病毒、鸭病毒性肝炎病毒、雏番鸭细小病毒和番鸭呼肠孤病毒阳性血清均无交叉反应,结果表明该方法具有良好的特异性。批内和批间重复性试验的最大变异系数分别为0.0221、0.0032,显示该方法具有很好的稳定性,与血清中和试验的符合率为100%。该方法快速、简单、特异性好、重复性好,可用于大批量监测鸭群DHDV血清抗体感染情况。     

Induction of intradermal skin reactions in the bovine by fractionated proteins of Hypoderma lineatum

Protein species found in crude extracts of Hypoderma lineatum (Villers) 1st-instar gullet-stage larval homogenates were fractionated by chromatography and further identified by conventional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and SDS/PAGE techniques. Seven major fractions were resolved by ion exchange chromatography. Conventional PAGE of the crude antigen preparation revealed a minimum of 14 protein species, while SDS/PAGE revealed 3 major protein species. The ability to elicit cutaneous reactivity by isolated proteins was determined by the intradermal skin test. An immediate-type hypersensitivity reaction was elicited in the skin of vaccinated and previously infested animals by the components of the 4 protein fractions tested. Only one protein fraction, fraction 4, elicited an apparent delayed reaction at 48 h in vaccinated and previously infested animals. A non-specific background reaction was elicited in control animals by the fractionated proteins and was most notable between 1- and 4-h post-injection.     

巢式PCR检测H1亚型禽流感病毒方法的建立

为建立快速、准确检测H1亚型禽流感病毒(avian influenza virus,AIV)的方法,本研究针对H1亚型AIV血凝素(HA)基因保守区设计合成了2对特异性引物并优化反应条件进行巢式PCR反应。特异性和敏感性试验结果表明,该PCR方法能特异性检测到H1亚型AIV,其敏感性最低能检测到13.2 fg/μL的H1亚型AIV RNA模板。本研究建立的巢式PCR方法为H1亚型AIV的早期诊断及有效防制提供了快速、特异且敏感的检测方法。     

犬细粒棘球绦虫粪抗原夹心ELISA检测方法的建立

为建立特异性和敏感性高的检验犬细粒棘球绦虫感染的方法。用细粒棘球绦虫(简称,Eg)成虫抗原分别免疫兔和绵羊,收集高免血清,纯化的高免抗体。依据抗体夹心ELISA工作原理,以兔抗体包被,检测感染Eg、不同犬带科绦虫的实验犬和空白犬粪样,绵羊抗体扑捉抗原,HRP标记兔抗绵羊IgG(1∶8 000)催化显色,用酶标仪测定OD 405nm吸光度,用以确定其特异性和敏感性。试验结果表明,敏感性为82.69%(43/52),特异性为85.88%(140/163);粪抗原在感染细粒棘球绦虫16d后可检出,最低抗原浓度为9.7ng/mL即犬感染5条成虫时可检测出阳性。该检测方法具有较好的特异性和灵敏性,为进一步研制检测细粒棘球绦虫虫体抗原ELISA检测试剂盒奠定了基础。     

节瘤拟杆菌K-凝集试验方法的建立

根据节瘤拟杆菌(D.nodosus)特异的表面抗原———K抗原具有凝集反应的特性,建立了检测抗节瘤拟杆菌抗体的方法———K-凝集试验方法。节瘤拟杆菌液体培养物接种兔,制备节瘤拟杆菌阳性血清;福尔马林灭活肉汤培养物制备抗原,结果表明,该方法使用方便、特异性强。     

A competitive ELISA for the specific diagnosis of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP)

A competitive ELISA, using a specific monoclonal antibody, was designed to detect antibodies to Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides SC, the agent of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia. One monoclonal antibody was found suitable for such a test, ‘117/5', it does not cross-react with any of the other mycoplasma species tested, furthermore, its binding is inhibited by positive sera. The cutoff, 50% of inhibition, was determined using a set of negative sera from CBPP-free areas. The sensitivity was controlled with sera from artificially infected animals as well as from sera from areas where CBPP is enzootic. In both cases, cELISA compared favorably with CFT. The precocity of detection was similar but cELISA detected more positives and the positive titers seemed to persist longer than in the case of CFT. Lysis of the antigen used to coat the ELISA plates reduced the variability of fixation and improved the repeatability of the test. A field evaluation is now in progress which will determine the true sensitivity and specificity of the test and also check if antibodies are detected after vaccination.