Skip to main content
PMC home page
Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica logoLink to Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica
. 1990 Dec 1;31(4):413–422. doi: 10.1186/BF03547523

Evaluation of ELISA for the Detection of Toxoplasma Antibodies in Swine Sera

Evaluering av ELISA för undersökning av antikroppar mot Toxoplasma gondii hos svin

Varpu Hirvelä-Koski 1,✉
PMCID: PMC8133292  PMID: 2099619

Abstract

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is compared with the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), the indirect haemagglutination test (IHAT) and the latex agglutination (LA) test for the detection of toxoplasma antibodies in swine sera. The 100 swine sera examined represent ELISA values from > 0 to 154 EIU. The agreement was highest (0.67) between ELISA and IFAT with an ELISA cut-off value of 30 EIU, and between ELISA and the LA test with an ELISA cut-off value of 50 EIU (0.74). All sera giving < 10 EIU were negative in the other tests, and all those with > 70 EIU were positive in 1, 2 or all of the reference tests. In order to avoid false positive results with ELISA, all sera giving 10–70 EIU should be confirmed with a test which has a good specificity, e.g. IFAT.

ELISA is a sensitive test and is highly suitable for the screening of large amounts of samples, but it may be too complicated for screening toxoplasma antibodies in the laboratories of abattoirs.

Keywords: IFAT, IHAT, latex agglutination test

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.2 MB).

References

  1. Anonymous: Serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalic inclusion disease, herpes simplex. Immunology series No. 5, Procedural guide. Center for Disease Control, Atlanta 1980.
  2. Balsari A, Poli G, Molina V, Dovis M, Petruzzelli E, Boniolo A, Rolleri E. ELISA for toxoplasma antibody detection: a comparison with other serodiagnostic tests. J. clin. Pathol. 1980;33:640–643. doi: 10.1136/jcp.33.7.640. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Boch J, Neurohr B. Vorkommen latenter Toxo-plasma-Infektionen bei Schweinen in Süddeutschland und deren Nachweis mit IFAT und IHAT. (Latent toxoplasma infection in pigs in southern Germany and diagnosis using the indirect fluorescent antibody test and the indirect haemagglutination test) Tierärztl. Umschau. 1982;37:820–826. [Google Scholar]
  4. Boch J. Toxoplasma – und Sarcocystis-Infektionen der Haustiere. (Toxoplasma and sarcocystis in domestic animals) Wien. Tierärztl. Mschr. 1973;60:337–341. [Google Scholar]
  5. Burreh C, Dawson AMcL: ELISA methodology: variations in technical procedures. In: Wardley RC, Growther JR (eds.): The ELISA: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in veterinary research and diagnosis. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. London 1982, p. 1–9.
  6. Camargo ME, Ferreira AW, Mineo JR, Takiguti CK, Nakahara OS. Immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and defined toxoplasmosis serological patterns. Infect. Immun. 1978;21:55–58. doi: 10.1128/IAI.21.1.55-58.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Chessum BS, Denmark JR: Inconstant ELISA. Lancet 1978, 21, 161. [DOI] [PubMed]
  8. Dubey JP, Murrell KD, Fayer R, Schad GA. Distribution of Toxoplasma gondii tissue cysts in commercial cuts of pork. J. Amer. vet. med. Ass. 1986;188:1035–1037. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Felice G, Meroni V, Carnevale G, Olliaro P, Carosi G. Comparison of ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence in the detection of IgG and IgM antitoxoplasma antibodie. Boll. 1st sieroter. Milan. 1983;62:445–450. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hellenes I, Mohn SF, Melhuus B. Toxoplasma gondii in swine in south-eastern Norway. Acta vet. scand. 1978;19:574–587. doi: 10.1186/BF03547597. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hutchison WM, Dunachie JF, Siim JC, Work K. Coccidian-like nature of Toxoplasma gondii. Brit. med. J. 1970;1:142–144. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5689.142. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Karim KA, Ludlam GB. The relationship and significance of antibody titres as determined by various serological methods in glandular and ocular toxoplasmosis. J. clin. Pathol. 1975;28:42–49. doi: 10.1136/jcp.28.1.42. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Katsube Y, Hagiwara T, Imaizumi K, Hanaki T, Nobuto K. Reliability of the dye and modified hemagglutination tests for the latent infection of Toxoplasma. Jap. J. vet. Sci. 1972;34:123–133. doi: 10.1292/jvms1939.34.123. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lin TM, Halbert SP, O’Connor GR. Standardized quantitative enzyme-linked immunoassay for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii. J. clin. Microbiol. 1980;11:675–681. doi: 10.1128/JCM.11.6.675-681.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Luft BJ, Remington JS. Toxoplasmic encephalitis. J. inf. Dis. 1988;157:1–6. doi: 10.1093/infdis/157.1.1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Lövgren K, Uggla A, Morein B. A new approach to the preparation of a Toxoplasma gondii membrane antigen for use in ELISA. J. vet. Med. B. 1987;34:274–282. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0450.1987.tb00397.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Martin SW, Meek AH, Willeberg P: Veterinary Epidemiology. Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa 1987, 343 p.
  18. Mineo JR, Camargo ME, Ferreira AW. Enzymelinked immunosorbent assay for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii polysaccharides in human toxoplasmosis. Infect. Immun. 1980;27:283–287. doi: 10.1128/IAI.27.2.283-287.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Oliver DG, Dreesen DW, Prickett MD, Waltman WD, Poy DS, Blue JL: Comparative study of enzyme-linked immunoassay with standard serological tests for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis in swine. Proc. 3rd Int. Symp. of World Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Ames, Iowa 1983, pp. 163–170.
  20. Pallangyo KJ, Suzuki H, Fukumoto Y, Matsumoto K. One point dilution enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for Toxoplasma gondii seroepidemiological surveys. Tohoku J. exp. Med. 1985;147:349–356. doi: 10.1620/tjem.147.349. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Tomasi JP, Barka N, Stadtsbaeder S. Serodiagnosis of human G and M immunoglobulins to Toxoplasma gondii by ELISA using whole tachyzoites as antigens: a comparative study with the indirect haemagglutination (IHA) and immunofluorescence (IFA) tests. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. 1986;175:261–269. doi: 10.1007/BF02123734. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Turunen HJ. Detection of soluble antigens of Toxoplasma gondii by a four-layer modification of an enzyme immunoassay. J. clin. Microbiol. 1983;17:768–773. doi: 10.1128/JCM.17.5.768-773.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Uggla A: Toxoplasma gondii in farm animals. Some immunodiagnostic methods and their potential use. Thesis. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala 1986, pp. 56.
  24. van Loon AM, van der Veen J. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for quantitation of toxoplasma antibodies in human sera. J. clin. Pathol. 1980;33:635–639. doi: 10.1136/jcp.33.7.635. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. van Knapen F, Franchimont JH, van der Lugt G. Prevalence of antibodies to toxoplasma in farm animals in the Netherlands and its impli cation for meat inspection. Vet. Quarterly. 1982;4:101–105. doi: 10.1080/01652176.1982.9693848. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Verhofstede C, Sabbe L, van Renterghem L. Ability of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to detect early immunoglobulin G antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii. Eur. J. clin. Microbiol. 1987;6:147–151. doi: 10.1007/BF02018196. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Violand SA, Mitchell TG, Kleeman KT. Comparison of an enzyme-linked immunoassay and a quantitative indirect fluorescent antibody test for detecting antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii. J. clin. Microbiol. 1982;16:341–344. doi: 10.1128/JCM.16.2.341-344.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Voller A, Bidwell DE, Bartlett A, Fleck DG, Perkins M, Oladehin B. A microplate enzyme-immunoassay for toxoplasma antibody. J. clin. Pathol. 1976;29:150–153. doi: 10.1136/jcp.29.2.150. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Walls KW, Bullock SL, English DK. Use of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) and its microadaptation for the serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis. J. clin. Microbiol. 1977;5:273–277. doi: 10.1128/jcm.5.3.273-277.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Waltman WD, Dreesen DW, Prickett MD, Blue JL, Oliver DG. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of toxoplasmosis in swine: Interpreting assay results and comparing with other serologic tests. Amer. J. vet. Res. 1984;45:1719–1724. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Wilson M, Ware DA, Walls KW. Evaluation of commercial serodiagnostic kits for toxoplasmosis. J. clin. Microbiol. 1987;25:2262–2265. doi: 10.1128/JCM.25.12.2262-2265.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Woodward BC. Evaluation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay specific for human immunoglobulin G as a screening test for detecting anti-Toxoplasma antibodies. J. clin. Microbiol. 1982;16:367–372. doi: 10.1128/JCM.16.2.367-372.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Work K. Isolation of Toxoplasma gondii from the flesh of sheep, swine and cattle. Acta Pathol. Microbiol, scand. 1967;71:296–306. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1967.tb05167.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica are provided here courtesy of BMC

RESOURCES