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Evaluating troponin C from P soroptes cuniculi as a diagnostic antigen for a dot‐ ELISA assay to diagnose mite infestations in rabbits
Author(s) -
Zheng W.,
Zhang R.,
Wu X.,
Ren Y.,
g X.,
Gu X.,
Wang S.,
Peng X.,
Yang G.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
parasite immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1365-3024
pISSN - 0141-9838
DOI - 10.1111/pim.12076
Subject(s) - serology , recombinant dna , biology , subclinical infection , antigen , antibody , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , virology , gene , biochemistry
Summary The mite P soroptes cuniculi is globally widespread and has a serious impact on commercial rabbit breeding. In C hina, diagnosis of P . cuniculi is currently based on conventional clinical methods that entail numerous disadvantages, including their failure to diagnose subclinical infections. Hence, alternative measures are required, and dot‐ ELISA is one of the most promising strategies. We cloned and expressed the recombinant P . cuniculi troponin C gene for use as a basis for novel dot‐ ELISA assay to detect P . cuniculi infections in rabbits. This amplified sequence encoded a 153 amino acid protein of 17·6 kDa and theoretical p I 4·18 without signal peptide. The recombinant troponin C of P . cuniculi is an outer membrane protein and may also be a new P . cuniculi allergen. Results of dot‐ ELISA test showed that this novel assay had more than 90% sensitivity but low specificity in distinguishing infections with P . cuniculi or S arcoptic scabiei , despite very high agreement between observers (97–99%; κ values ranged from 0·95 to 0·98 for inter‐ and intra‐observer variability test). This study showed that this novel method, at present, lacks diagnostic utility. Therefore, although simple serological assays such as dot‐ ELISA show great promise as diagnostic tools, we suggest that troponin C is not a suitable diagnostic antigen candidate.