title: Development and evaluation of an interferon-γ release assay in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus).
abstract: We developed an interferon-γ release assay (IGRA) specific for Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). Whole blood collected from forty captive Asian elephants was stimulated with three different mitogens i.e., phytohemagglutinin (PHA), pokweed mitogen (PWM) and phorbol myristate aceteate/ionomycin (PMA/I). A sandwich ELISA that was able to recognize the recombinant elephant interferon-γ (rEIFN-γ) as well as native interferon-γ from the Asian elephants was performed using anti-elephant IFN-γ rabbit polyclonal antibodies as capture antibodies and biotinylated anti-elephant IFN-γ rabbit polyclonal antibodies as detection antibodies. PMA/I was the best mitogen to use as a positive control for an Asian elephant IGRA. The development of an Asian elephant-specific IGRA that detects native IFN-γ in elephant whole blood provides promising results for its application as a potential diagnostic tool for diseases, such as tuberculosis (TB) in Asian elephants.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Wildlife Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan.
authors.forename: Sarad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paudel
authors.forename: Marvin A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Villanueva
authors.forename: Susan K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mikota
authors.forename: Chie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Kamal P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Gairhe
authors.forename: Suraj
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Subedi
authors.forename: Nabin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rayamajhi
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sashika
authors.forename: Michito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimozuru
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuba
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsubota
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004606:Elephants / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D059425:Interferon-gamma Release Tests / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male