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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #47467
Title: SEROLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF CAPRINE LENTIVIRUS INFECTION BY RECOMBINANT IMMUNOASSAYS

Author
item KWANG JIMMY - 5438-01-35
item KEEN JAMES E - UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
item CUTLIP, RANDALL
item DE LA CONCHA-BERM - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Small Ruminant Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/30/1994
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: In order to develop a single, accurate, and sensitive assay (ELISA) for diagnosis of two important viral diseases (caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus [CAEV] in goats and ovine progressive pneumonia [OPP] in sheep) we produced two high-quality, virus-specific recombinant proteins by using molecular techniques. We were able to make a common bacteria (E. coli) produce these two proteins in large quantities and developed a very sensitive and inexpensive test to detect both CAEV and OPP. This new test allows much earlier detection of these diseases in goats and sheep than the common test that had been used. With this new test it may be possible to detect CAEV and OPP early enough to use culling and other management techniques to eliminate these diseases from goat and sheep flocks.

Technical Abstract: Recombinant major-core protein P25 and transmembrane protein gp40 of the ovine lentivirus (OLV) were used as immobilized antigens in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA's) for the detection of antibodies against caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV). The sensitivity and specificity of these assays were compared with an agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test and a whole-virus ELISA. The results showed that the rTM ELISA was more effective than rP25 ELISA or AGID test in identifying CAEV antibodies in goat populations. The rTM ELISA had similar sensitivity and specificity as the whole-virus ELISA, with an overall concordance of 87.5%. When data for rP25 and rTM were combined, the overall test agreement between whole-virus ELISA and combined recombinant ELISA's increased to 89.3%. The high quantity and purity characteristic of recombinant proteins should make them suitable as routine diagnostic antigens for CAEV and OLV serology.