title: Evaluation of two commercially available immunological kits for the diagnosis of Helicobacter spp. in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).
abstract: Helicobacter pylori is considered to be responsible for the most common gastric infections in humans worldwide. In animals, other Helicobacter species are linked to gastritis with and without the presence of ulcers in their respective hosts. Moreover, gastric ulcers have been reported for decades in wild and captive dolphins. Clinical signs include lack of appetite, anorexia, abdominal tenderness, depression, and occasional unresponsiveness. In this study, serum and stool of nine bottlenose dolphins from Loro Parque collection Tenerife, Spain were examined for the presence of Helicobacter spp. The aim of our study was to evaluate the use of two commercially available kits for the detection of H. pylori in humans: a stool antigen immunoassay (Letitest H. pylori CARD) and a Western blot assay (EUROLINE-WB H. pylori) that were adapted to identify specific Helicobacter spp. antibodies in the tested Loro Parque bottlenose dolphin collection. The utility of these diagnostic kits for their application in dolphins is demonstrated, and their use in the future for the diagnosis of Helicobacter spp. in both wild and captive dolphins is proposed in this study.
authors.affiliation: Loro Parque, Avda. Loro Parque SN, 38400, Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, Spain, mjosebernalg@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bernal-Guadarrama
authors.forename: Nuhacet
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fernández-Gallardo
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zamora-Padrón
authors.forename: Víctor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pacheco
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reyes-Batlle
authors.forename: Basilio
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Valladares
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lorenzo-Morales
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martínez-Carretero
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D050681:Bottle-Nosed Dolphin / Q000382:microbiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D016998:Helicobacter / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D044967:Serum / Q000737:chemistry; D013030:Spain; D014730:Veterinary Medicine / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic