Skip to main content
Download PDF
  • Published:

Evaluation of ELISA for the Detection of Toxoplasma Antibodies in Swine Sera

Evaluering av ELISA för undersökning av antikroppar mot Toxoplasma gondii hos svin

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica volume 31, pages 413–422 (1990)Cite this article

Abstract

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is compared with the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), the indirect haemagglutination test (IHAT) and the latex agglutination (LA) test for the detection of toxoplasma antibodies in swine sera. The 100 swine sera examined represent ELISA values from > 0 to 154 EIU. The agreement was highest (0.67) between ELISA and IFAT with an ELISA cut-off value of 30 EIU, and between ELISA and the LA test with an ELISA cut-off value of 50 EIU (0.74). All sera giving < 10 EIU were negative in the other tests, and all those with > 70 EIU were positive in 1, 2 or all of the reference tests. In order to avoid false positive results with ELISA, all sera giving 10–70 EIU should be confirmed with a test which has a good specificity, e.g. IFAT.

ELISA is a sensitive test and is highly suitable for the screening of large amounts of samples, but it may be too complicated for screening toxoplasma antibodies in the laboratories of abattoirs.

Sammanfattning

ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) jämförs med IFAT (indirect fluorescent antibody test), IHAT (indirect haemagglutination test) och LA (latex agglutination) test for att mäta antikroppar mot Toxoplasma gondii i sera av 100 svin. Alla sera med < 10 EIU var negativa med andra tester och alla med > 70 EIU var positiva med 1, 2 eller 3 av de andra testerna. Hälften av sera med 10–70 EIU var positiva med andra tester och hälften var negativa. Det bästa “cut-off” värdet för ELISA var 30 EIU jämfört med IFAT och 50 EIU jämfört med LA test. Om man vill undvika fel positiva resultat med ELISA, borde alla sera med 10–70 EIU testas med t. ex. IFAT.

ELISA är sensitiv och lämplig för undersökning av stora mängder prov. Det kan ändå vara tekniskt för svårt att utföra på slakterilaboratorier, vårs kapacitet är inriktad mest på bakteriologiska och sensoriska undersökningar.

References

  • Anonymous: Serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalic inclusion disease, herpes simplex. Immunology series No. 5, Procedural guide. Center for Disease Control, Atlanta 1980.

  • Balsari A, Poli G, Molina V, Dovis M, Petruzzelli E, Boniolo A, Rolleri E: ELISA for toxoplasma antibody detection: a comparison with other serodiagnostic tests. J. clin. Pathol. 1980, 33, 640–643.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boch J, Neurohr B: Vorkommen latenter Toxo-plasma-Infektionen bei Schweinen in Süddeutschland und deren Nachweis mit IFAT und IHAT. (Latent toxoplasma infection in pigs in southern Germany and diagnosis using the indirect fluorescent antibody test and the indirect haemagglutination test). Tierärztl. Umschau 1982, 37, 820–826.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boch J: Toxoplasma – und Sarcocystis-Infektionen der Haustiere. (Toxoplasma and sarcocystis in domestic animals). Wien. Tierärztl. Mschr. 1973, 60, 337–341.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burreh C, Dawson AMcL: ELISA methodology: variations in technical procedures. In: Wardley RC, Growther JR (eds.): The ELISA: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in veterinary research and diagnosis. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. London 1982, p. 1–9.

  • Camargo ME, Ferreira AW, Mineo JR, Takiguti CK, Nakahara OS: Immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and defined toxoplasmosis serological patterns. Infect. Immun. 1978, 21, 55–58.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chessum BS, Denmark JR: Inconstant ELISA. Lancet 1978, 21, 161.

  • Dubey JP, Murrell KD, Fayer R, Schad GA: Distribution of Toxoplasma gondii tissue cysts in commercial cuts of pork. J. Amer. vet. med. Ass. 1986, 188, 1035–1037.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Felice G, Meroni V, Carnevale G, Olliaro P, Carosi G: Comparison of ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence in the detection of IgG and IgM antitoxoplasma antibodie. Boll. 1st sieroter. Milan. 1983, 62, 445–450.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hellenes I, Mohn SF, Melhuus B: Toxoplasma gondii in swine in south-eastern Norway. Acta vet. scand. 1978, 19, 574–587.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hutchison WM, Dunachie JF, Siim JC, Work K: Coccidian-like nature of Toxoplasma gondii. Brit. med. J. 1970, 1, 142–144.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karim KA, Ludlam GB: The relationship and significance of antibody titres as determined by various serological methods in glandular and ocular toxoplasmosis. J. clin. Pathol. 1975, 28, 42–49.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Katsube Y, Hagiwara T, Imaizumi K, Hanaki T, Nobuto K: Reliability of the dye and modified hemagglutination tests for the latent infection of Toxoplasma. Jap. J. vet. Sci. 1972, 34, 123–133.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lin TM, Halbert SP, O’Connor GR: Standardized quantitative enzyme-linked immunoassay for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii. J. clin. Microbiol. 1980, 11, 675–681.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luft BJ, Remington JS: Toxoplasmic encephalitis. J. inf. Dis. 1988, 157, 1–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lövgren K, Uggla A, Morein B: A new approach to the preparation of a Toxoplasma gondii membrane antigen for use in ELISA. J. vet. Med. B 1987, 34, 274–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin SW, Meek AH, Willeberg P: Veterinary Epidemiology. Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa 1987, 343 p.

  • Mineo JR, Camargo ME, Ferreira AW: Enzymelinked immunosorbent assay for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii polysaccharides in human toxoplasmosis. Infect. Immun. 1980, 27, 283–287.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oliver DG, Dreesen DW, Prickett MD, Waltman WD, Poy DS, Blue JL: Comparative study of enzyme-linked immunoassay with standard serological tests for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis in swine. Proc. 3rd Int. Symp. of World Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Ames, Iowa 1983, pp. 163–170.

  • Pallangyo KJ, Suzuki H, Fukumoto Y, Matsumoto K: One point dilution enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for Toxoplasma gondii seroepidemiological surveys. Tohoku J. exp. Med. 1985, 147, 349–356.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tomasi JP, Barka N, Stadtsbaeder S: Serodiagnosis of human G and M immunoglobulins to Toxoplasma gondii by ELISA using whole tachyzoites as antigens: a comparative study with the indirect haemagglutination (IHA) and immunofluorescence (IFA) tests. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. 1986, 175, 261–269.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Turunen HJ: Detection of soluble antigens of Toxoplasma gondii by a four-layer modification of an enzyme immunoassay. J. clin. Microbiol. 1983, 17, 768–773.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Uggla A: Toxoplasma gondii in farm animals. Some immunodiagnostic methods and their potential use. Thesis. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala 1986, pp. 56.

  • van Loon AM, van der Veen J: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for quantitation of toxoplasma antibodies in human sera. J. clin. Pathol. 1980, 33, 635–639.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Knapen F, Franchimont JH, van der Lugt G: Prevalence of antibodies to toxoplasma in farm animals in the Netherlands and its impli cation for meat inspection. Vet. Quarterly 1982, 4, 101–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verhofstede C, Sabbe L, van Renterghem L: Ability of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to detect early immunoglobulin G antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii. Eur. J. clin. Microbiol. 1987, 6, 147–151.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Violand SA, Mitchell TG, Kleeman KT: Comparison of an enzyme-linked immunoassay and a quantitative indirect fluorescent antibody test for detecting antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii. J. clin. Microbiol. 1982, 16, 341–344.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Voller A, Bidwell DE, Bartlett A, Fleck DG, Perkins M, Oladehin B: A microplate enzyme-immunoassay for toxoplasma antibody. J. clin. Pathol. 1976, 29, 150–153.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Walls KW, Bullock SL, English DK: Use of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) and its microadaptation for the serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis. J. clin. Microbiol. 1977, 5, 273–277.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Waltman WD, Dreesen DW, Prickett MD, Blue JL, Oliver DG: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of toxoplasmosis in swine: Interpreting assay results and comparing with other serologic tests. Amer. J. vet. Res. 1984, 45, 1719–1724.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson M, Ware DA, Walls KW: Evaluation of commercial serodiagnostic kits for toxoplasmosis. J. clin. Microbiol. 1987, 25, 2262–2265.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Woodward BC: Evaluation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay specific for human immunoglobulin G as a screening test for detecting anti-Toxoplasma antibodies. J. clin. Microbiol. 1982, 16, 367–372.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Work K: Isolation of Toxoplasma gondii from the flesh of sheep, swine and cattle. Acta Pathol. Microbiol, scand. 1967, 71, 296–306.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hygiene, National Veterinary Institute, , Regional Laboratory Oulu, SF-90101, P. O. Box 517, Helsinki, Oulu, Finland

    Varpu Hirvelä-Koski

Authors
  1. Varpu Hirvelä-Koski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hirvelä-Koski, V. Evaluation of ELISA for the Detection of Toxoplasma Antibodies in Swine Sera. Acta Vet Scand 31, 413–422 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03547523

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03547523

Keywords

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

ISSN: 1751-0147