Serodiagnosis of sporotrichosis infection in cats by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using a specific antigen, SsCBF, and crude exoantigens.
The main objective of this study is to standardize an ELISA for the diagnosis of feline sporotrichosis. Sporothrix schenckii is the etiological agent of human and animal sporotrichosis. Cats may act as reservoirs for S. schenckii and can transmit the infection to humans by a bite or scratch. There are few methods for the serological diagnosis of fungal diseases in animals. In this paper, an ELISA test for the diagnosis of cat sporotrichosis is proposed, which detects S. schenckii-specific antibodies in feline sera. Two different kinds of antigens were used: "SsCBF", a specific molecule from S. schenckii that consists of a Con A-binding fraction derived from a peptido-rhamnomannan component of the cell wall, and a S. schenckii crude exoantigen preparation. The ELISA was developed, optimized, and evaluated using sera from 30 cats with proven sporotrichosis (by culture isolation); 22 sera from healthy feral cats from a zoonosis center were used as negative controls. SsCBF showed 90% sensitivity and 96% specificity in ELISA; while crude exoantigens demonstrated 96% sensitivity and 98% specificity. The ELISA assay described here would be a valuable screening tool for the detection of specific S. schenckii antibodies in cats with sporotrichosis. The assay is inexpensive, quick to perform, easy to interpret, and permits the diagnosis of feline sporotrichosis.
Fernandes
Geisa Ferreira
GF
Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Disciplina de Biologia Celular, São Paulo, Brazil.
Lopes-Bezerra
Leila Maria
LM
Bernardes-Engemann
Andréa Reis
AR
Schubach
Tânia Maria Pacheco
TM
Dias
Maria Adelaide Galvão
MA
Pereira
Sandro Antonio
SA
de Camargo
Zoilo Pires
ZP
D000818:Animals; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000097:blood; D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002415:Cats; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000592:standards / Q000662:veterinary*; D005779:Immunodiffusion / Q000662:veterinary; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000592:standards; D013175:Sporothrix / Q000502:physiology; D013174:Sporotrichosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*
D000908:Antibodies, Fungal; D000946:Antigens, Fungal