title: Screening of recombinant proteins as antigens in indirect ELISA for diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis.
abstract: Bovine tuberculosis is an important infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis, which is responsible for considerable economic losses. This disease constitutes a serious public health problem. Control programs in most countries, including Brazil, are based on the identification and slaughter of infected animals, as defined by the skin tuberculin test, which has its constraints. In the present study, the recombinant proteins CFP-10, ESAT-6, Mb0143, MPB83, PE5, PE13, TB10.4, TB15.3 and a chimera of ESAT-6/MPB70/MPB83 (fusion protein) were tested as ELISA antigens for the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis. The proteins were produced in Escherichia coli, purified and tested in ELISAs with sera from 126 cattle having tested negative in the comparative intradermal tuberculin test (CITT) and 107 sera from cattle having tested positive in the CITT. Also, 236 sera from two BTB-free beef cattle herds were tested. Among the proteins tested, only the ESAT-6/MPB70/MPB83 chimera demonstrated satisfactory agreement with the CITT (kappa index: 0.688), reflecting in 83.2% sensitivity and 86.5% specificity. The ELISA absorbances of the cattle sera from BTB-free herds showed similar levels to those of CITT positive cattle, probably as the result of successive skin tuberculinizations to define the BTB-free status of the herds. However, the ELISA with the ESAT-6/MPB70/MPB83 chimera was useful to discriminate BTB positive and negative cattle in herds prior to the tuberculin skin test.
authors: Pós Graduação em Ciência Animal, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS Brazil.
authors: Ingrid If
authors: II
authors: Souza
authors: Elaine Sp
authors: ES
authors: Melo
authors: Carlos An
authors: CA
authors: Ramos
authors: Thaís A
authors: TA
authors: Farias
authors: Ana Luiza Ar
authors: AL
authors: Osório
authors: Klaudia Sg
authors: KS
authors: Jorge
authors: Carlos Es
authors: CE
authors: Vidal
authors: Altino S
authors: AS
authors: Silva
authors: Márcio R
authors: MR
authors: Silva
authors: Aiesca O
authors: AO
authors: Pellegrin
authors: Flábio R
authors: FR
authors: Araújo
keywords: Cattle; ELISA; Mycobacterium bovis; Recombinant proteins; Serology