Anaplasma platys Immunoblot Test Using Major Surface Antigens

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Tick-borne Pathogens

Background:

• Anaplasma platys is an uncultivable tick-borne bacterium causing infectious canine cyclic thrombocytopenia.
• Global prevalence of A. platys is poorly understood due to a lack of reliable diagnostic methods.
• Antigens recognized by dogs during A. platys infection remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a serological assay for Anaplasma platys using recombinant outer membrane proteins.
• To determine the seroprevalence of A. platys exposure in dogs from Venezuela.
• To identify specific A. platys antigens recognized by canine immune responses.

Main Methods:

• Purification of recombinant Anaplasma platys P44 and Omp-1X proteins.
• Immunoblotting analysis of canine serum samples using recombinant antigens.
• Testing of specificity using Anaplasma phagocytophilum-seropositive and seronegative control samples.

Main Results:

• A high seroreactivity rate (73.5%) to recombinant AplP44 and/or AplOMP-1X was observed in dogs from Venezuela.
• No cross-reactivity was detected with Anaplasma phagocytophilum-seropositive or seronegative canine sera from non-endemic regions.
• The recombinant proteins effectively distinguished A. platys exposure in the tested canine population.

Conclusions:

• Recombinant Anaplasma platys major outer membrane proteins P44 and Omp-1X are valuable antigens for serological diagnosis.
• Immunoblotting with these recombinant proteins provides a simple and reliable tool to assess A. platys infection prevalence.
• The study highlights a significant prevalence of A. platys in Venezuelan dogs, necessitating further epidemiological investigation.