Detection of lymphoproliferative disease virus by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
Hitherto, detection of lymphoproliferative disease virus (LPDV), a C-type retrovirus of turkeys, has proved difficult since no tissue culture or serological assay has been available. Development of serological tests has been hampered by the problems of raising virus-specific antisera. An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is reported, using a viral antiserum raised with bromelain-digested virus. The assay specifically detected purified virus at a concentration of 250 ng/ml or greater. In an experiment to detect virus in plasma from turkeys over a period of 4 weeks following LPDV infection, ELISA results correlated closely with the viral reverse transcriptase activity. Both assays were of similar sensitivity and detected small amounts of virus in high-speed pellets of turkey plasma. Evidence is presented indicating that LPDV-infected or hyperimmunized turkeys do not produce readily detectable circulating viral antibodies. In reciprocal ELISA tests, using antibodies to group-specific antigens of other avian retrovirus groups (avian sarcoma-leukosis (ASLV) and reticuloendotheliosis (REV] no antigenic cross-reaction was found between LPDV, ASLV and REV.
D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000097:blood; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary; D014422:Turkeys / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase