title: Evaluation of canine serum for the presence of antiretinal autoantibodies in sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the presence of serum antiretinal antibodies in sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome (SARDS) affected dogs and the size of the antigen to which these antibodies bind via the use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot immunoassays.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum was collected from 13 dogs affected by SARDS and five dogs with normal ocular examinations.
  
  
  METHODS
  All serum samples were subjected to ELISA with saline-soluble canine retinal tissue and Western blot analyses with SDS solubilized normal canine retinal tissue as the antigen. Antirecoverin (23 kDa) and antiheat shock cognate (65 kDa) antibodies were used as positive controls for both procedures. Affinity-purified goat antidog IgG and IgM labeled with horseradish peroxidase were used for all clinical samples and goat antirabbit IgG was used as the secondary antibody for the positive controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ELISA demonstrated antibody reaction with all samples. Western blot immunoassays identified multiple bands in all canine serum samples, as well as in negative controls. Approximate sizes of the bands were 25 and 50 kDa, corresponding to IgG light and heavy chains, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No antiretinal autoantibodies were identified in the serum of dogs affected by SARDS as compared to normal canine patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA. rkeller2@utk.edu
authors.forename: Rachel L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kania
authors.forename: Diane V H
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Hendrix
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abrams
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000662:veterinary; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D004285:Dogs / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008970:Molecular Weight; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013577:Syndrome
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies