Open AccessSingle-Antigen Serological Testing for Bovine Tuberculosis
Author(s) -
Lawrence R. Green,
Cynthia C. Jones,
Anne L. Sherwood,
Inna V. Garkavi,
Gerard A. Cangelosi,
Tyler C. Thacker,
Mitchell V. Palmer,
W. Ray Waters,
Chris V. Rathe
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
clinical and vaccine immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.649
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1556-6811
pISSN - 1556-679X
DOI - 10.1128/cvi.00028-09
Subject(s) - antigen , mycobacterium bovis , serology , paratuberculosis , biology , mycobacterium kansasii , tuberculosis , antibody , virology , immunology , mycobacterium , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , mycobacterium tuberculosis , pathology
Antibody responses are useful indicators ofMycobacterium bovis infection of cattle. Tests for such responses often use multipleM. bovis antigens as detection probes. This is recommended because responses to single antigens may be too variable for consistent diagnosis. However, the use of multiple antigens increases costs and the risk of false-positive results. As an alternative, the SeraLyte-Mbv system detects responses to a singleM. bovis antigen, MPB83, by using a chemiluminescent testing platform with a high degree of analytical sensitivity. Testing with the SeraLyte-Mbv system was conducted in a blinded fashion with sera from experimentally infected and control cattle. To assess the species specificity of the single-antigen test, the sample included sera from animals infected withM. bovis (n = 27),M. kansasii (n = 4),M. avium subsp.paratuberculosis (n = 11),M. avium subsp.avium (n = 12), and uninfected animals (n = 15). Upon unblinding of the results, the sensitivity of the SeraLyte-Mbv system relative to the results for animals with knownM. bovis infection was 89%. Consistent with the conservation of MPB83 sequences within the genusMycobacterium , all 4M. kansasii -infected animals tested positive with the SeraLyte-Mbv system and all 23M. avium -infected animals tested negative. Blinded analysis of 30 serum samples collected from nine animals at various time points postinfection indicated 100% sensitivity after ≥3 months postinfection. All 15 uninfected samples in the blinded sample set tested negative with the SeraLyte-Mbv system. Unblinded analysis of sera from an additional 895 animals in 10 accredited bovine tuberculosis-free states revealed 98% specificity overall. The results support the feasibility of single-antigen testing for bovine tuberculosis with the SeraLyte-Mbv system.