Comparative evaluation of different immunoassays for the detection of Taenia solium cysticercosis in swine with low parasite burden.
Seven swine were experimentally infected with Taenia solium eggs and blood samples from each animal were periodically collected. At the end of the experiment (t140) the animals did not show clinical aspects of cysticercosis or parasites in tongue inspection. All animals were slaughtered and cut into thin slices in searching for cysts. The number of cysts found in each animal varied from 1 to 85. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests for antibody (Ab) detection and for antigen (Ag) detection were performed, which presented respectively 71 and 57% of positivity. By immunoblot (IB), using 18/14(T. crassiceps Ag) or lentil-lectin-purified glycoproteins from T. solium Ag (LLGP) as Ag, five (71%) and six (86%) animals were positive, respectively. The association between Ag-ELISA with any IB (18/14 or LLGP) allowed the detection of all animals at 140 days post-experimental infection (days p.e.i.). The use of IB 18/14 combined to the Ag-ELISA allowed the detection of all animals since 70 days p.e.i., and the association between IB LLGP and Ag-ELISA allowed the detection of all animals since 112 days p.e.i. While all animals could be considered healthy by conventional screening tests, the use of immunoassays for detecting Ab and Ag showed better accuracy; therefore it would be more useful than usual clinical examination for screening cysticercosis in slightly infected pigs.
Gomes
Andréia Bartachini
AB
Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brasil.
Soares
Killarney Ataíde
KA
Bueno
Ednéia Casagrande
EC
Espindola
Noeli Maria
NM
Iha
Alberto Hiroshi
AH
Maia
Antônio Augusto Mendes
AA
Peralta
Regina Helena Saramargo
RH
Vaz
Adelaide José
AJ
D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood*; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000097:blood*; D003551:Cysticercosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015151:Immunoblotting; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D041201:Taenia solium / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000947:Antigens, Helminth