Antibody coefficients for the diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis.
Abstract: Diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) remains a challenge for equine practitioners. Current utilized methods have inadequate sensitivity and specificity, because of a high number of false positive results. Objective: Evaluation of antibody indices to Sarcocystis neurona should provide high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of EPM. Methods: Archived samples from 29 clinical patients. Methods: Archived serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from clinical patients with either EPM (14) or cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy (CVM) (15) were examined and tested for anti-S. neurona antibodies by the SnSAG2 ELISA. The results were used to calculate the antibody index (AI) and C-value. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated, and the AI, C-value, immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations, and anti-S. neurona titers compared. In addition, negative CSF was spiked in varying concentrations with blood from a horse with a high anti-S. neurona titer, and the tests repeated. Results: Results demonstrated that the IgG concentration, anti-S. neurona titer, AI, and C-value were significantly higher (P < .05) in horses with EPM than in those with CVM. Sensitivity and specificity of the AI was 71 and 100%, respectively, and that of the C-value was 86 and 100%, respectively. In addition, the AI and C-value from the samples spiked with S. neurona positive blood remained below 1 (eg, negative) in CSF with a red blood cell (RBC) count up to 10(5) RBC/μL. CONCLUSIONS/CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Results of the study demonstrate the value of calculating the AI and C-value in the diagnosis of EPM in horses. In addition, the test is robust in the presence of blood contamination.
Copyright © 2010 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Publication Date: 2010-12-14 PubMed ID: 21155894DOI: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2010.0658.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Evaluation Study
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
- Antibodies
- Cerebrospinal Fluid
- Clinical Pathology
- Clinical Study
- Comparative Study
- Diagnosis
- Disease Diagnosis
- Epidemiology
- Equine Diseases
- Equine Health
- Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis
- Horses
- Immunoglobulin G
- Infectious Disease
- Laboratory Methods
- Protozoa
- Sarcocystis
- Sensitivity and Specificity
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Research
Summary
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The research article discusses the evaluation of antibody coefficients (indices) for improving the diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) in horses. It emphasizes the methods used, the testing done and the conclusions reached, suggesting that these indices may provide a more sensitive and specific diagnosis of this disease in horses.
Objective and Participants
- The objective of this research was to evaluate antibody indices to Sarcocystis neurona, a parasite held responsible for EPM, to provide high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of EPM.
- For this evaluation, the researchers used archived serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 29 clinical patients.
- The sample group was composed of 14 horses with EPM and 15 horses with cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy (CVM), a different neurological disorder.
Methods
- The researchers tested these samples for anti-S. neurona antibodies using the SnSAG2 ELISA method.
- From these results, they calculated the antibody index and another metric termed the C-value, then determined their sensitivity and specificity.
- They compared these metrics with the immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations, and anti-S. neurona titers from the same samples.
- In addition, to simulate the effect of blood contamination in the CSF (a situation that often occurs during vet procedures), they spiked negative CSF with different concentrations of blood from a horse with a high anti-S. neurona titer, then repeated the same tests.
Results
- It was found that the IgG concentration, anti-S. neurona titer, Antibody Index, and C-value were significantly higher in horses with EPM than in those with CVM.
- The sensitivity and specificity of the Antibody Index was found to be 71% and 100% respectively.
- For the C-value, it was 86% and 100%, respectively.
- The experiment demonstrated that even with the presence of blood contamination, the Antibody Index and C-value remained negative for samples spiked with S. neurona positive blood.
Conclusions
- The findings from the research indicate the importance of calculating an Antibody Index and C-value for diagnosing EPM in horses.
- The research also shows that these methods are reliable even in the presence of blood contamination in CSF.
Cite This Article
APA
Furr M, Howe D, Reed S, Yeargan M.
(2010).
Antibody coefficients for the diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis.
J Vet Intern Med, 25(1), 138-142.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-1676.2010.0658.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Marion DuPont Scott Equine Medical Center, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Leesburg, VA 20176, USA. mfurr@vt.edu
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Antibodies, Protozoan / blood
- Antibodies, Protozoan / cerebrospinal fluid
- Encephalomyelitis / blood
- Encephalomyelitis / cerebrospinal fluid
- Encephalomyelitis / parasitology
- Encephalomyelitis / veterinary
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / parasitology
- Horses
- Retrospective Studies
- Sarcocystis / isolation & purification
- Sarcocystosis / blood
- Sarcocystosis / parasitology
- Sarcocystosis / veterinary
- Sensitivity and Specificity
Citations
This article has been cited 9 times.- Puerto-Parada M, Arango-Sabogal JC, Bilodeau MÈ, Bédard C, Francoz D, Desrochers A, Nichols S, Fecteau G. Interpretation of cerebrospinal fluid analysis from recumbent cows using different thresholds of red blood cell count.. J Vet Intern Med 2022 Sep;36(5):1837-1842.
- Bedenice D, Johnson AL. Neurologic conditions in the sport horse.. Anim Front 2022 Jun;12(3):37-44.
- Young KAS, Hepworth-Warren KL, Dembek KA. Comparison of Fluid Analysis and Cytologic Findings of Cerebrospinal Fluid Between Three Collection Sites in Adult Equids With Neurological Disease.. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:821815.
- Chidlow H, Giguère S, Camus M, Wells B, Berghaus R, McConachie Beasley E. The effect of prior thecal puncture on cerebrospinal fluid analytes in normal adult horses.. J Vet Intern Med 2020 Sep;34(5):2117-2121.
- Schale S, Howe D, Yeargan M, Morrow JK, Graves A, Johnson AL. Protozoal coinfection in horses with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis in the eastern United States.. J Vet Intern Med 2018 May;32(3):1210-1214.
- Divers TJ, Gardner RB, Madigan JE, Witonsky SG, Bertone JJ, Swinebroad EL, Schutzer SE, Johnson AL. Borrelia burgdorferi Infection and Lyme Disease in North American Horses: A Consensus Statement.. J Vet Intern Med 2018 Mar;32(2):617-632.
- Achard D, Francoz D, Grimes C, Desrochers A, Nichols S, Babkine M, Fecteau G. Cerebrospinal Fluid Analysis in Recumbent Adult Dairy Cows With or Without Spinal Cord Lesions.. J Vet Intern Med 2017 May;31(3):940-945.
- Reed SM, Furr M, Howe DK, Johnson AL, MacKay RJ, Morrow JK, Pusterla N, Witonsky S. Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis: An Updated Consensus Statement with a Focus on Parasite Biology, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention.. J Vet Intern Med 2016 Mar-Apr;30(2):491-502.
- Dubey JP, Howe DK, Furr M, Saville WJ, Marsh AE, Reed SM, Grigg ME. An update on Sarcocystis neurona infections in animals and equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM).. Vet Parasitol 2015 Apr 15;209(1-2):1-42.
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