title: Evaluation of the immunogenicity of attenuated feline calicivirus vaccines by ELISA.
abstract: An ELISA test was developed to measure the levels of IgG antibody in specific-pathogen-free (SPF) cats immunised with two doses of an attenuated feline calicivirus (FCV) vaccine. All eight vaccinates were protected from virus challenge, but four out of five non-vaccinates were not. There was a significant difference in respect of protection from virus challenge between SPF cats with and without three-fold or greater increase in antibody units (P = 0.01). Each serum absorbance was standardised against the reference positive which has an arbitrary value of 100 antibody units. In SPF cats, the 99% confidence level for seropositivity to FCV was determined as greater than or equal to 2.5 antibody units. The results suggest that the sensitive ELISA test can be used to monitor the antibody status of SPF cat colonies prior to FCV vaccine trials, and to measure the immunogenicity of attenuated FCV vaccines. Thus, the ELISA test may replace the need for virus challenge, with consequent reduction in animals used in future FCV vaccine trials.
authors.affiliation: Pitman-Moore New Zealand Limited, Upper Hutt.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Halliday
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Davies
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D002139:Caliciviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002415:Cats; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D010850:Picornaviridae Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D014611:Vaccination / Q000662:veterinary; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000276:immunology; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated; D014765:Viral Vaccines