Exposure of Piglets to Enteroviruses Investigated by an Immunoassay Based on the EV-G1 VP4 Peptide.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the exposure of piglets to enteroviruses-G (EV-G) through the presence of antibodies in their serum.


METHODS
Serum samples were obtained from the vena cava of 10 piglets at 9 weeks of age and again 39 days later (day 39). They were tested using an immunoassay based on the EV-G1 VP4 peptide, since VP4 is highly conserved among the four Enterovirus capsid proteins, and by using a seroneutralization assay.


RESULTS
For each serum collected on day 39 the optical density was high compared to the value obtained in serum collected earlier (p = 0.002). However, the titers of anti-EV-G1 serum neutralizing activity were not different in paired samples (p > 0.999). The sequence alignment of the EV-G1 VP4 peptide, encompassing 50 amino acids, used in the immunoassay showed 88% homology with EV-G, suggesting that antibodies directed toward other EV-G than EV-G1 may be detected.


CONCLUSIONS
An immunoassay based on EV-G1 VP4 can detect an increased level of EV-G antibodies in piglet serum samples. Further studies are needed to determine whether this immunoassay may be useful for diagnosis and/or epidemiological studies and to monitor EV-G infection in pigs to evaluate strategies aimed to prevent enterovirus infections.
Université de Lille, CHU de Lille, Laboratoire de Virologie/EA3610, Lille, France.
Mehdi A
MA
Benkahla
Famara
F
Sane
Rachel
R
Desailloud
Didier
D
Hober
D000818:Animals; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D004770:Enterovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D010455:Peptides; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins