Development and evaluation of a gamma-interferon assay for tuberculosis in badgers (Meles meles).
In this paper we report the development of a sensitive and specific assay for the detection of tuberculosis (TB) in European badgers (Meles meles), based on the stimulation of lymphocytes in whole-blood culture and the subsequent detection of gamma-interferon (IFNgamma) by sandwich ELISA. The comparative levels of IFNgamma produced to bovine and avian tuberculin (B-A) was used as the basis of determining the TB status of badgers, resulting in a more sensitive test than that based on the defined Mycobacterium bovis antigens ESAT6 and CFP10. The assay was evaluated using 235 badgers. The IFNgamma EIA (enzyme immunoassay) based on a monoclonal pair (mEIA) was more sensitive than one using a rabbit polyclonal antiserum (pEIA). At a specificity of 93.6%, the mEIA was 80.9% sensitive, compared to a sensitivity of 74.5% for the pEIA. At the same specificity as the EIA, the current serological ELISA test for TB in badgers (Brock test) had a sensitivity of 48.9%. Only one of the culture positive badgers missed by the mEIA was correctly diagnosed by the Brock test, suggesting that the combination of both a T-cell and serological test has little diagnostic advantage.
Dalley
Deanna
D
TB Research Group, Department of Statutory and Exotic Bacteria, Veterinary Laboratories Agency Weybridge, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK.
Davé
Dipesh
D
Lesellier
Sandrine
S
Palmer
Simonette
S
Crawshaw
Timothy
T
Hewinson
R Glyn
RG
Chambers
Mark
M
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008934:Mitogens / Q000276:immunology; D045969:Mustelidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014373:Tuberculin / Q000276:immunology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D008934:Mitogens; D014373:Tuberculin; D007371:Interferon-gamma