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Veterinary parasitology1995; 59(2); 97-106; doi: 10.1016/0304-4017(94)00755-2

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of antibodies to Anoplocephala perfoliata in horse sera.

Abstract: A scolex antigen of the horse tapeworm Anoplocephala perfoliata containing at least 14 different proteins was employed in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of antibodies to A. perfoliata in equine sera. The assay was applied to sera from 426 slaughtered horses with different numbers of worms and with varying degrees of intestinal lesions. As measured by the ELISA, there was a very strong effect on the antibody levels both from the number of tapeworms present and from the intestinal lesion score. However, considerable individual variation was observed between horses with similar worm counts. The ELISA values of horses that were either negative for strongyles and tapeworms or positive only for strongyles were similar, whereas both of these groups differed significantly from animals that harboured only A. perfoliata. Thus it seemed that cross-reactivity with concurrent nematode infections did not occur. Furthermore, a significant seasonal pattern in antibody levels was observed which reflected the establishment of newly acquired infections. No observations were made of confounding effects owing to age and previous anthelmintic treatment of the horses. It is concluded that the ELISA presented here has a potential for monitoring A. perfoliata infection on a herd level and can be used as a complementary diagnostic tool in epidemiological studies. The present study indicates that transmission of A. perfoliata in Central Sweden occurred during a short period in spring and more consistently in late autumn.
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Publication Date: 1995-09-01 PubMed ID: 7483241DOI: 10.1016/0304-4017(94)00755-2Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
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  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article explores a method to detect antibodies of the horse tapeworm, Anoplocephala perfoliata, in horse blood using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This test showed significant potential for monitoring A. perfoliata infection at a herd level and was not impacted by co-infections or former treatments.

Method and Study Sample

  • The study applied an ELISA which made use of a scolex antigen of the horse tapeworm, A. perfoliata. The antigen contained at least 14 different proteins.
  • The examination was carried out on samples from 426 horses that were slaughtered. These samples covered a broad spectrum ranging from horses with different numbers of worms to varying degrees of intestinal lesions.

Key Findings

  • The study found a substantial effect on the antibody levels in horses from both the number of tapeworms present and the index of intestinal lesions as determined by the ELISA.
  • However, significant individual variation was noted amongst horses that had similar counts of worm infestations.
  • The ELISA values of horses that were either worm-free or had only strongyles (another type of intestinal worm) were alike but differed importantly from animals infested only with A. perfoliata. This suggests that concurrent nematode infections did not cross-react with the testing.

Seasonality and Other Effects

  • The research also observed a significant seasonal pattern in antibody levels, which aligned with the timing of new infections.
  • Impacts due to the age of horses or previous deworming treatments were not noted, which confirms the pertinence of the technique for ongoing monitoring and evaluation purposes.

Conclusions

  • This research posits that the developed ELISA is useful for tracking A. perfoliata infections on a herd level.
  • The ELISA can serve as a complementary tool in epidemiological research to help understand the distribution and trends in equine tapeworm infections.
  • The study’s findings suggest that A. perfoliata transmission occurs during a brief period in spring and consistently in late autumn in Central Sweden.

Cite This Article

APA
Höglund J, Ljungström BL, Nilsson O, Uggla A. (1995). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of antibodies to Anoplocephala perfoliata in horse sera. Vet Parasitol, 59(2), 97-106. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-4017(94)00755-2

Publication

Veterinary parasitology
ISSN: 0304-4017
NlmUniqueID: 7602745
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 59
Issue: 2
Pages: 97-106

Researcher Affiliations

Höglund, J
  • Department of Parasitology, National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden.
Ljungström, B L
    Nilsson, O
      Uggla, A

        MeSH Terms

        • Aging
        • Analysis of Variance
        • Animals
        • Antibodies, Helminth / blood
        • Antigens, Helminth / analysis
        • Antigens, Helminth / immunology
        • Cestoda / isolation & purification
        • Cestode Infections / diagnosis
        • Cestode Infections / immunology
        • Cestode Infections / veterinary
        • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
        • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / methods
        • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / veterinary
        • Horse Diseases
        • Horses / immunology
        • Regression Analysis

        Citations

        This article has been cited 12 times.
        1. Girisgin O, Gülegen E, Girisgin AO, Cirak VY. Potassium carbonate as an alternative solution for detecting Anoplocephalid eggs in horse faecal samples. BMC Vet Res 2025 Dec 22;22(1):30.
          doi: 10.1186/s12917-025-05226-5pubmed: 41430231google scholar: lookup
        2. Wang T, Chen X, Yan X, Su Y, Gao W, Liu C, Wang W. Progress in serology and molecular biology of equine parasite diagnosis: sustainable control strategies. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1663577.
          doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1663577pubmed: 40979365google scholar: lookup
        3. Matthews JB, Peczak N, Lightbody KL. The Use of Innovative Diagnostics to Inform Sustainable Control of Equine Helminth Infections. Pathogens 2023 Oct 11;12(10).
          doi: 10.3390/pathogens12101233pubmed: 37887749google scholar: lookup
        4. Burcáková L, Königová A, Kuzmina TA, Austin CJ, Matthews JB, Lightbody KL, Peczak NA, Syrota Y, Várady M. Equine tapeworm (Anoplocephala spp.) infection: evaluation of saliva- and serum-based antibody detection methods and risk factor analysis in Slovak horse populations. Parasitol Res 2023 Dec;122(12):3037-3052.
          doi: 10.1007/s00436-023-07994-1pubmed: 37803152google scholar: lookup
        5. Ríos-Valencia DG, Ambrosio J, Tirado-Mendoza R, Carrero JC, Laclette JP. What about the Cytoskeletal and Related Proteins of Tapeworms in the Host's Immune Response? An Integrative Overview. Pathogens 2023 Jun 18;12(6).
          doi: 10.3390/pathogens12060840pubmed: 37375530google scholar: lookup
        6. Hautala K, Pursiainen J, Näreaho A, Nyman T, Varmanen P, Sukura A, Nielsen MK, Savijoki K. Label-free quantitative proteomics and immunoblotting identifies immunoreactive and other excretory-secretory (E/S) proteins of Anoplocephala perfoliata. Front Immunol 2022;13:1045468.
          doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1045468pubmed: 36466892google scholar: lookup
        7. Jürgenschellert L, Krücken J, Austin CJ, Lightbody KL, Bousquet E, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G. Investigations on the occurrence of tapeworm infections in German horse populations with comparison of different antibody detection methods based on saliva and serum samples. Parasit Vectors 2020 Sep 10;13(1):462.
          doi: 10.1186/s13071-020-04318-5pubmed: 32912340google scholar: lookup
        8. Tomczuk K, Kostro K, Szczepaniak KO, Grzybek M, Studzińska M, Demkowska-Kutrzepa M, Roczeń-Karczmarz M. Comparison of the sensitivity of coprological methods in detecting Anoplocephala perfoliata invasions. Parasitol Res 2014 Jun;113(6):2401-6.
          doi: 10.1007/s00436-014-3919-4pubmed: 24777342google scholar: lookup
        9. Getachew AM, Innocent G, Proudman CJ, Trawford A, Feseha G, Reid SW, Faith B, Love S. Equine cestodosis: a sero-epidemiological study of Anoplocephala perfoliata infection in Ethiopia. Vet Res Commun 2012 Jun;36(2):93-8.
          doi: 10.1007/s11259-012-9516-zpubmed: 22294318google scholar: lookup
        10. Roelfstra L, Deeg CA, Hauck SM, Buse C, Membrez M, Betschart B, Pfister K. Protein expression profile of Gasterophilus intestinalis larvae causing horse gastric myiasis and characterization of horse immune reaction. Parasit Vectors 2009 Jan 8;2(1):6.
          doi: 10.1186/1756-3305-2-6pubmed: 19133133google scholar: lookup
        11. Höglund J, Ljungström BL, Nilsson O, Lundquist H, Osterman E, Uggla A. Occurrence of Gasterophilus intestinalis and some parasitic nematodes of horses in Sweden. Acta Vet Scand 1997;38(2):157-65.
          doi: 10.1186/BF03548495pubmed: 9257451google scholar: lookup
        12. Nilsson O, Ljungström BL, Höglund J, Lundquist H, Uggla A. Anoplocephala perfoliata in horses in Sweden: prevalence, infection levels and intestinal lesions. Acta Vet Scand 1995;36(3):319-28.
          doi: 10.1186/BF03547677pubmed: 7502948google scholar: lookup
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