Detection of antibodies against Streptococcus suis capsular type 2 using a purified capsular polysaccharide antigen-based indirect ELISA.
In the present study a purified capsular polysaccharide antigen-based indirect ELISA (CPS-ELISA) to detect antibodies against Streptococcus suis capsular type 2 was developed and compared with a whole cell antigen-based ELISA (WCA-ELISA). The WCA-ELISA presented a very low specificity when rabbit antisera to other capsular types were tested. Most of these cross-reactions were due to common proteins. The standardized CPS-ELISA gave satisfactory results using a concentration of 0.1 micrograms/well; most cross-reactions decreased significantly, with some exceptions, such as those shared by capsular types 1/2, 12 and 17. These cross-reactions were mainly due to common epitopes present in the capsule, as shown by immunoblotting. In a second experiment, the CPS-ELISA was used to detect antibodies in experimentally infected piglets. Despite the fact that capsular type 2 S. suis could be reisolated from all infected animals during and/or after the trial, antibody titers against a second infection. Sera from piglets experimentally infected were completely protected against a second infection. Sera from piglets experimentally infected with S. suis capsular types 1/2 or 12 presented cross-reactions at low dilutions, confirming data previously obtained with rabbit sera. Finally, sera of animals from herds with clinical signs associated with S. suis capsular type 2 did not present titers significantly different from those of disease free herds. From our results we concluded that the CPS-ELISA developed in this study can not be used as a diagnostic tool to identify infected animals.
del Campo Sepúlveda
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EM
Groupe de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses du Porc, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Altman
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E
Kobisch
M
M
D'Allaire
S
S
Gottschalk
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M
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D000917:Antibody Formation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D007106:Immune Sera; D015151:Immunoblotting; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D011817:Rabbits; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D017011:Streptococcus suis / Q000276:immunology*; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases; D013997:Time Factors
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007106:Immune Sera; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial