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Home / Equine Research Bank / Parasitol Int / Serodiagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection in farm animals...
Parasitology international2015; 64(5); 288-294; doi: 10.1016/j.parint.2015.03.004

Serodiagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection in farm animals (horses, swine, and sheep) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using chimeric antigens.

Abstract: Toxoplasma gondii infects all warm-blooded animals including humans, causing serious public health problems and great economic loss in the animal husbandry. Commonly used serological tests for diagnosis of toxoplasmosis involve preparation of whole Toxoplasma lysate antigen (TLA) from tachyzoites. The production of this antigen is associated with high costs and lengthy preparation and the possibility of staff infection. There are also some difficulties in the standardization of such tests. One approach in order to improve the diagnosis of T. gondii infection is to use recombinant chimeric antigens in place of the TLA, which was confirmed by studies in the serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis in humans. In this paper, we assess, for the first time, the diagnostic utility of five T. gondii recombinant chimeric antigens (MIC1-MAG1-SAG1S, SAG1L-MIC1-MAG1, SAG2-GRA1-ROP1S, SAG2-GRA1-ROP1L, and GRA1-GRA2-GRA6) in immunoglobulin G (IgG) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (IgG ELISAs) with sera from three different groups of livestock animals (horses, pigs, and sheep). The reactivity of individual chimeric antigens was analyzed in relation to the results obtained in IgG ELISAs based on a mixture of three antigens (M1: rSAG1+rMIC1+rMAG1, M2: rSAG2+rGRA1+rROP1, and M3: rGRA1+rGRA2+rGRA6) and referenced to TLA. All chimeric antigens were characterized by high specificity (100%), and the sensitivity of the IgG ELISAs based on chimeric antigens was variable (between 28.4% and 100%) and mainly dependent on the animal species. The chimeric antigens were generally more reactive than mixtures of three antigens. The most effective for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis was SAG2-GRA1-ROP1L, which can detect specific anti-T. gondii antibodies in 100%, 93.8%, and 100% of positive serum samples from horses, pigs, and sheep, respectively. The present study shows that recombinant chimeric antigens can be successfully used to diagnose T. gondii infection in farm animals, and can replace the commonly used TLA.
Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2015-03-25 PubMed ID: 25817245DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2015.03.004Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

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The research paper presents the development and application of a new diagnostic tool for toxoplasmosis infection in farm animals such as horses, pigs, and sheep. The new method uses Toxoplasma gondii recombinant chimeric antigens as an alternative to the current standard of using Toxoplasma lysate antigen (TLA), promising increased specificity and versatility in detection across different animal species.

Introduction: Toxoplasma gondii Infection

  • The Toxoplasma gondii parasite causes toxoplasmosis infection in warm-blooded animals, including humans, leading to significant public health issues and considerable economic impact in livestock farming.
  • Typical serological tests for diagnosing toxoplasmosis use a Toxoplasma lysate antigen (TLA), derived from the tachyzoite life stage of the parasite.
  • The use of TLA carries challenges such as high production cost, elongated preparation time, potential of staff infection, and issues in test standardization.

Methodology: Use of Chimeric Antigens

  • The study proposes the use of recombinant chimeric antigens instead of TLA to improve the detection of T. gondii infection, a method already confirmed for toxoplasmosis diagnosis in humans.
  • Five T. gondii recombinant chimeric antigens were assessed: MIC1-MAG1-SAG1S, SAG1L-MIC1-MAG1, SAG2-GRA1-ROP1S, SAG2-GRA1-ROP1L, and GRA1-GRA2-GRA6.
  • The diagnostic utility of these antigens was tested using IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (IgG ELISAs) with serum samples from horses, pigs, and sheep.

Results: Improved Diagnostic Performance

  • All tested chimeric antigens exhibited high specificity (100%) while the sensitivity of the IgG ELISAs varied (between 28.4% and 100%), largely dependent on the animal species.
  • These chimeric antigens generally outperformed the mixtures of three antigens (M1: rSAG1+rMIC1+rMAG1, M2: rSAG2+rGRA1+rROP1, and M3: rGRA1+rGRA2+rGRA6) in reactivity.
  • The chimeric antigen SAG2-GRA1-ROP1L was most effective for toxoplasmosis diagnosis, detecting specific anti-T. gondii antibodies in 100%, 93.8%, and 100% of positive serum samples from horses, pigs, and sheep, respectively.

Conclusion: Towards Better Toxoplasmosis Diagnosis

  • This study demonstrated that recombinant chimeric antigens could effectively diagnose T. gondii infection in farm animals.
  • The application of these antigens could replace the use of TLA, overcoming the various challenges associated with the latter method.

Cite This Article

APA
Ferra B, Holec-Gąsior L, Kur J. (2015). Serodiagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection in farm animals (horses, swine, and sheep) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using chimeric antigens. Parasitol Int, 64(5), 288-294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parint.2015.03.004

Publication

Parasitology international
ISSN: 1873-0329
NlmUniqueID: 9708549
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 64
Issue: 5
Pages: 288-294
PII: S1383-5769(15)00056-2

Researcher Affiliations

Ferra, Bartłomiej
  • Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Gdańsk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12 Street, Gdańsk 80-233, Poland.
Holec-Gąsior, Lucyna
  • Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Gdańsk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12 Street, Gdańsk 80-233, Poland.
Kur, Józef
  • Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Gdańsk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12 Street, Gdańsk 80-233, Poland. Electronic address: kur@pg.gda.pl.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Domestic
  • Antigens, Protozoan / immunology
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / methods
  • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
  • Horse Diseases / parasitology
  • Horses
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Serologic Tests / methods
  • Sheep
  • Sheep Diseases / diagnosis
  • Sheep Diseases / parasitology
  • Swine
  • Swine Diseases / diagnosis
  • Swine Diseases / parasitology
  • Toxoplasma / immunology
  • Toxoplasmosis / diagnosis
  • Toxoplasmosis / parasitology

Citations

This article has been cited 19 times.
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