[Possibilities and limits of immunodiagnosis of strongyle infections in horses].

The research focuses on studying the natural course of strongyle infections in horses over an 8-month period. Two types of strongyles, small and large, were detected in the horses through fecal and serological examinations. The tests revealed limits in the effectiveness of current diagnostic methods.

Study Methodology and Findings

• The study involved 27 mares and 29 foals whose infections were monitored for 8 months using fecal and serological examinations.
• Testing of the stool before the grazing season began showed a 100% infection rate with small strongyles and a 7.4% rate with large strongyles in mares.
• Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests showed a noticeable increase in the presence of antibodies produced in response to the somatic (body) antigen in foals.
• On the contrary, the mares maintained their high levels of IgG, those are antibodies typically present at high levels during an infection, throughout the course of the study.

Diagnostic Possibilities and Limitations

• The agglutination test was useful for monitoring the effectiveness of the treatment program in a horse population. However, its capacity for individual diagnosis was limited.
• This limitation was attributed to the decreased sensitivity and specificity of the measurement of IgG-subtype T under natural infection conditions.
• A method called the double-antibody-sandwich-ELISA technique was identified as potentially feasible for testing for antigens from small strongyles.
• Excretory-secretory (ES) antigens could be most sensitively detected by antibodies targeting these, while somatic antigens were best detected by antibodies that target these antigens directly.

The findings of this study identify and highlight the limitations of current diagnostic methods in the detection and management of strongyle infections in horses. They also suggest possible avenues for improving these methods, such as the use of the double-antibody-sandwich-ELISA technique.