Equine infectious anemia: sensitivity of the agar-gel immunodiffusion test, and the direct and the indirect complement-fixation tests for the detection of antibodies in equine serum.
- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
Summary
This scientific research compared three tests for detecting the presence of antibodies associated with equine infectious anemia in horses. The study concluded that the agar-gel immunodiffusion (AGI) test is more reliable, especially in samples with small amounts of antibody, and can help track the progression of the disease within a herd.
Study Methodology
In this research study, three testing methods were compared for their effectiveness in diagnifying equine infectious anemia:
- The agar-gel immunodiffusion test (AGI)
- The direct complement-fixation test
- The indirect complement-fixation test
Using serum (blood component) from experimentally infected horses to evaluate these tests, researchers observed the presence of antibodies in each case and their detection timeline with each testing method.
Results and Findings
The AGI test was able to detect antibodies as early as 18 days after infection. This test revealed antibodies in all subsequent bleeding events after the initial infection. On the other hand, the direct complement-fixation test could detect complement-fixing antibodies around the same time but these antibodies didn’t last for long and were replaced by non-complement-fixing antibodies, as shown by the indirect method.
For a practical application of these tests, a herd of 55 horses was examined. The AGI test detected 28 positive horses. Of these 28 horses, 24 tested positive on either the direct or indirect complement-fixation test (or both methods). Thirteen horses that initially tested negative on all three tests showed a subsequent positive reaction on the AGI test 43 days later.
Conclusions
The study concluded that the AGI test was more reliable in detecting equine infectious anemia. Even in cases where the antibody count was low, AGI test results proved to be more accurate compared to the direct or indirect complement-fixation tests. The timeline of the detection of the two types of complement-fixing antibodies could reveal insights into the evolution of the disease within a herd of horses.
Cite This Article
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Antibodies, Viral / blood
- Complement Fixation Tests
- Equine Infectious Anemia / immunology
- Female
- Horses
- Immunodiffusion
- Male
- Time Factors
References
- Kono Y, Kobayashi K. Complement fixation test of equine infectious anemia. I. Specificity of the test.. Natl Inst Anim Health Q (Tokyo) 1966 Winter;6(4):194-203.
- Kono Y, Kobayashi K. Complement fixation test of equine infectious anemia. II. Relationship between CF antibody response and the disease.. Natl Inst Anim Health Q (Tokyo) 1966 Winter;6(4):204-7.
- Boulanger P, Bannister GL, Ruckerbauer GM, Corner AH. Equine infectious anemia: preliminary investigation of the complement-fixation test for the demonstration of antibodies and antigen.. Can J Comp Med 1969 Apr;33(2):148-54.
- Coggins L, Norcross NL. Immunodiffusion reaction in equine infectious anemia.. Cornell Vet 1970 Apr;60(2):330-5.
- McGuire TC, Van Hoosier GL Jr, Henson JB. The complement-fixation reaction in eguine infectious anemia: demonstration of inhibition by IgG (T).. J Immunol 1971 Dec;107(6):1738-44.
- Coggins L, Norcross NL, Nusbaum SR. Diagnosis of equine infectious anemia by immunodiffusion test.. Am J Vet Res 1972 Jan;33(1):11-8.
- Boulanger P, Bannister GL, Carrier SP. Equine infectious anemia: preparation of a liquid antigen extract for the agar-gel immunodiffusion and complement-fixation tests.. Can J Comp Med 1972 Apr;36(2):116-23.
- Carrier SP, Bannister GL, Boulanger P. Equine infectious anemia: activity of liquid antigen extracts in the agar-gel immunodiffusion and complement-fixation tests.. Can J Comp Med 1972 Oct;36(4):377-9.
