Immunohistochemical detection of 3 viral infections in paraffin-embedded tissue from mink (Mustela vison): a
Anne Sofie Hammer1, Hans Henrik Dietz, Stephen Hamilton-Dutoit
1Department of Poultry, Fish and Fur Animals, Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research, 2 Hangoevej, DK-8200 Aarhus, Denmark. ash@dfvf.dk
Abstract:
Immunohistochemical (IHC) assays were developed and tested for the detection of 3 viral infections in archived paraffin-embedded mink tissue. Specimens had been obtained from mink with diagnoses of acute Aleutian disease (AD), mink parvoviral enteritis (MVE), or canine distemper (CD) made by means of routine diagnostic procedures. To improve the efficiency and reduce the costs of IHC analyses, tissue microarray (TMA) technology was used. Representative cores 2 mm in diameter from each tissue specimen and from positive- and negative-control specimens were collected in a TMA block. Immunohistochemical reactions to viral antigens were assessed and graded. Positive reactions were found in 91% of the 32 specimens from mink with AD, 53% to 80% of the 60 specimens from mink with MVE, and all 66 of the specimens from mink with CD. To validate the use of TMAs, the IHC methods were applied to whole-mount paraffin-embedded sections of 10 of the positive specimens for each disease, together with whole-mount sections of small intestine and lung tissue from 2 healthy mink. The IHC grading of the TMA cores and the whole-mount sections from the same animal corresponded completely. These results suggest that IHC demonstration of viral antigen allows rapid and reliable diagnosis of the 3 viral infections in mink and is a potential supplement to histologic diagnostic procedures. The TMA technique proved useful for screening large numbers of samples for expression of specific viral antigens, while reducing overall costs.
Insights
Tissue microarray (TMA) technology enables efficient immunohistochemical (IHC) detection of Aleutian disease (AD), mink parvoviral enteritis (MVE), and canine distemper (CD) in mink tissues, offering a reliable diagnostic supplement.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Pathology
- Immunohistochemistry
- Molecular Diagnostics
Background:
- Archived paraffin-embedded mink tissues are valuable for retrospective studies.
- Accurate diagnosis of viral infections like Aleutian disease (AD), mink parvoviral enteritis (MVE), and canine distemper (CD) is crucial for mink health management.
- Traditional immunohistochemical (IHC) methods can be time-consuming and costly.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate IHC assays for detecting AD, MVE, and CD in mink.
- To evaluate the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of tissue microarray (TMA) technology for IHC analysis of viral infections in mink.
- To compare the diagnostic accuracy of TMA-based IHC with traditional whole-mount section IHC.
Main Methods:
- Development of IHC assays for viral antigen detection in archived mink tissues.
- Application of TMA technology to create a tissue block with representative cores from multiple specimens.
- Assessment and grading of immunohistochemical reactions for viral antigens in TMA cores and whole-mount sections.
- Validation of TMA-based IHC by comparing results with whole-mount sections from the same animals.
Main Results:
- High sensitivity for AD (91%), MVE (53-80%), and CD (100%) using IHC on mink tissue specimens.
- Complete concordance between IHC grading of TMA cores and whole-mount sections, validating TMA use.
- TMA technology significantly improved efficiency and reduced costs for screening large numbers of samples.
Conclusions:
- IHC is a rapid and reliable method for diagnosing AD, MVE, and CD in mink.
- TMA technology is a valuable tool for cost-effective screening of viral antigens in archived mink tissues.
- IHC combined with TMA can supplement traditional histologic diagnostic procedures for viral diseases in mink.
