title: Evaluation of Dot Immunogold Filtration Assay (DIGFA) By Recombinant Protein EPC1 for Anti- Echinococcus granulosus IgG Antibody.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cystic echinococcosis is an important zoonosis caused by the Echinococcus granulosus with a substantial impact in human and animal health in endemic areas. The purpose of the present study was serodiagnosis optimizing of dog echinococcosis in order to achieve a rapid diagnostic method.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight dogs were challenged with protoscoleces in order to have positive echinococcosis serum and 2 two-month old puppies were used as uninfected controls. Colloidal gold was prepared by controlled reduction of a boiling solution of chloroauric acid (H [AuCl4]) with sodium citrate and labeled with recombinant EPC1. Dot immunogold filtration assay (DIGFA) was developed by coating rEPC1 labeled colloidal gold on nitrocellulose membrane. The canine sera, taken three times including, 15, 28 and 35 days post infection were tested. A total of 30 serum samples including 24 sera from 8 infected dogs and 6 sera from 2 puppies were comparatively detected with both DIGFA and ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gold labeled antigen, showed a dark purple dot with agglutination particles in positive sera and light purple dot without agglutination in negative sera. Among 30 serum samples, 23 were positive and 7 were negative with DIGFA and 24 were positive, 6 were negative with ELISA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DIGFA as a rapid and simple procedure could be utilized in quickly diagnosis of echinococcosis.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Parasitology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Somayeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kordafshari
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Parasitology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Hossein
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Parasitology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jalousian
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Masoumeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rajabibazl
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Parasitology, School of Veterinary Sciences, Queensland University, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Malcolm
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Parasitology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fazeleh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Etebar
keywords: Dot immunogold filtration assay; Echinococcus granulosus; Recombinant EPC1; Serodiagnosis