title: ELISAs based on recombinant antigens for seroepidemiological studies on Toxoplasma gondii infections in cats.
abstract: Two recombinant Toxoplasma gondii polypeptides, H4 and H11, were tested as diagnostic antigens in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). The results obtained by ELISAs based on single H4 (H4-ELISA), on single H11 (H11-ELISA) and on a mixture of H4 and H11 (H4/H11-ELISA) were compared with results obtained by an ELISA based on traditional ELISA antigen (TEA-ELISA), an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), the Sabin-Feldman dye test (SFDT) and a direct agglutination test (DAT). A total of 306 cats from a suburban cat population were tested of which about 45% showed serological evidence of T. gondii infection. Infection rates varied from about 32% for cats kept indoors to about 55% for stray cats. Specificities > 99% were observed for all ELISAs based on the recombinant antigens (H4-ELISA, H11-ELISA and H4/H11-ELISA). The H4/H11-ELISA also reached a sensitivity of 95% which compared very favourably with those observed for the TEA-ELISA (98%) and for the IFAT (94%). Negative and positive predictive values for the H4/H11-ELISA were 96 and > 99%, respectively. Antibody titres measured by the H4/H11-ELISA also correlated well with those measured by the SFDT and the DAT. Hence, the H4/H11-ELISA appears to be a very suitable test for sero-epidemiological studies on T. gondii infections in cats.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Parasitologie, Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tenter
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vietmeyer
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Janitschke
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rommel
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lehmacher
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002415:Cats; D004395:Dye Dilution Technique; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006799:Housing, Animal; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D011994:Recombinant Proteins