Application of peroxidase labelled antibody assays for detection of porcine IgG antibodies to hog cholera and bovine viral diarrhea viruses

Abstract

Rapid, sensitive peroxidase labelled antibody (PLA) assays using microtiter systems, were developed for detection of hog cholera virus (HCV) and cross-reacting bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) antibodies in pig sera. HCV-infected pig kidney cell line (PK 15) prepared in microtiter plates were fixed and used in PLA assays. After inoculation with test serum, bound antibodies (HCV/BVDV) were reacted with either horseradish peroxidase (HRP) conjugated anti-porcine immunoglobulin (H & L) or biotinylated protein A (BPA) and subsequent HRP labelled avidin (A). Positive reactions were easily visualized under an inverted light microscope as foci of brown colored cells after enzyme degradation of hydrogen peroxidase in the presence of amino-ethylcarbazole (AEC). The PLA assays were superior to the indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test in detecting anti-HCV antibodies in porcine sera collected early after inoculation of pigs with a lapinized HCV vaccine. The performances of the PLA, IFA and FA neutralization (FAN) tests in measuring the immune response in the vaccinated pigs were comparable. Cross-reacting anti-BVDV antibody, as measured by a microtiter serum neutralization (MTSN) test, was not demonstrable in vaccinated pigs until they were challenged with a virulent HCV, 13 weeks later. The PLA assays relative to the IFA test detected more reactive samples among porcine field sera collected from HC-free pigs in Canada. Of 795 samples, 24 (3.01%) were reactive in the PLA employing HRP anti-porcine IgG, and 21 (2.6%) in the PLA, using BPA-HRP-A. When 324 of these sera were screened by the IFA test (using HC antigen), only one sample (0.30%) was found reactive. All but one reactive serum contained demonstrable anti-BVDV antibody as measured by the standard MTSN. The PLA has potential application as a rapid, inexpensive and automated test for seroepidemiological studies of HCV and BVDV in pigs.