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Recombinant OmpL1 protein as a diagnostic antigen for the detection of canine leptospirosis
M Subathra1, T M A Senthilkumar, P Ramadass
1Department of Animal Biotechnology, Madras Veterinary College, TANUVAS, Chennai 600 007, Tamil Nadu, India.
Abstract:
Microscopic agglutination test (MAT) is the standard method for the diagnosis of leptospirosis, which is laborious and the interpretation of the results is subjective. The present work describes the use of recombinant-based IgG ELISA for the serodiagnosis of leptospirosis. We used recombinant outer membrane protein OmpL1 as an antigen for conducting IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A total of 475 canine serum samples were subjected to IgG ELISA; 294 sera were positive to ELISA, while 283 were positive to MAT. All samples that were positive to MAT were positive to ELISA also, however, few samples which were negative to MAT were positive to ELISA, which suggested that recombinant-based IgG ELISA showed 100 % sensitivity when compared to MAT. Thus, this present study showed that recombinant OmpL1-based IgG ELISA appears to be a better alternative to MAT for the diagnosis of leptospirosis and rOmpL1 protein could be used as a potential diagnostic antigen in different assay formats for leptospirosis.
Insights
A new recombinant OmpL1-based IgG ELISA offers a more sensitive and objective method for diagnosing leptospirosis in dogs compared to the traditional microscopic agglutination test (MAT). This improved diagnostic tool enhances leptospirosis detection.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Immunology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Leptospirosis diagnosis relies on the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), which is time-consuming and subjective.
- There is a need for more efficient and objective diagnostic methods for leptospirosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a recombinant-based IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using outer membrane protein OmpL1 for canine leptospirosis serodiagnosis.
- To compare the sensitivity and effectiveness of the recombinant OmpL1 IgG ELISA with the standard MAT.
Main Methods:
- Developed and implemented a recombinant OmpL1 IgG ELISA for detecting antibodies against Leptospira.
- Tested 475 canine serum samples using both the developed IgG ELISA and the conventional MAT.
Main Results:
- The recombinant OmpL1 IgG ELISA identified 294 positive samples, while MAT identified 283.
- All MAT-positive samples were also positive by ELISA, demonstrating 100% sensitivity for the ELISA compared to MAT.
- The ELISA detected additional positive cases not identified by MAT, suggesting higher diagnostic capability.
Conclusions:
- Recombinant OmpL1-based IgG ELISA is a superior alternative to MAT for diagnosing canine leptospirosis.
- The rOmpL1 protein shows potential as a key diagnostic antigen for developing various leptospirosis assays.
