Table 6-2.
Categorization of Antibody Detection Methods
| TECHNIQUE | TARGET | ADVANTAGES | DISADVANTAGES | EXAMPLE | NEW ADVANCES | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indirect immunofluorescence antibody assay (IFA) | Virus and whole cell | Visualization of target enables specificity | Cross-reaction with antibodies directed against similar organisms | FeLV | Negative test does not rule out infection; less sensitive than some ELISA or PCR tests | |
| Complement fixation (CF) | Specific antigen | Detects antibody to a specific antigen | Complex test materials | Histoplasma spp. | Limited application | |
| Hemagglutination (HA) and hemagglutination inhibition (HI) | Virus | Specific to virus of interest | Complex test materials; inhibitory factors can influence accuracy | Parvovirus | Not applicable to nonviral diseases | |
| Serum virus neutralization (SVN) | Virus | Specific to virus of interest | Complex test materials | Calicivirus | Not applicable to nonviral diseases | |
| Radioimmunoprecipitation (RIPA) | Specific antigens | Highly specific | Uses radioisotopes | FIV | Typically used for confirmation after a positive result with another method | |
| Western blot | Fractionated lysate | Visualization and preliminary identification of specific antigen | Labor intensive | FIV | Cannot differentiate vaccine-induced antibody from antibody generated by true infection | |
| ELISA | Lysate or specific antigens | Easy to use, easy to detect, in-clinic, reference lab | Lyme | Improved target antigens increase test accuracy | For some agents, tests differentiate antibodies generated by infection from those produced by vaccination |