[Express diagnostics of bovine leucosis by immune sensor based on surface plasmon resonance]

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Immunology
• Biosensing Technology
• Animal Disease Diagnostics

Background:

• Bovine leucosis is a significant concern in cattle farming.
• Current diagnostic methods like agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) can be time-consuming and less sensitive.
• Accurate and rapid detection of bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) is crucial for herd health management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel immune sensor for the express diagnostics of bovine leucosis.
• To detect antibodies against BLV in bovine blood serum.
• To compare the performance of the developed immune sensor with the traditional AGID test.

Main Methods:

• Development of a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) based immune sensor.
• Detection of antibodies against bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) in serum samples.
• Purification of industrially manufactured BLV antigen for sensor application.
• Comparative analysis with the agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test.

Main Results:

• The SPR immune sensor demonstrated higher sensitivity and speed compared to the AGID test.
• Additional purification of BLV antigen was necessary for optimal immune sensor performance.
• The developed sensor is suitable for on-farm bovine leucosis screening.
• A minimal serum dilution of 1:500 was established for effective detection.

Conclusions:

• The SPR-based immune sensor provides a superior alternative for rapid and sensitive bovine leucosis diagnostics.
• This technology facilitates efficient screening of cattle populations at the farm level.
• The optimized method allows for early detection and management of BLV infections.