Rapid, field-adapted indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of antibodies in bovine whole blood and serum to Brucella abortus

Accuracy of serological tests for bovine brucellosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The direct methods for diagnosis of bovine brucellosis have several limitations, therefore serological tests are the basis for the diagnosis of the disease. However, a meta-analysis estimating the diagnostic sensitivity (DSe) and diagnostic specificity (DSp) on the main tests used in bovine brucellosis control programs worldwide has not been performed. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the DSe, DSp and thereby accuracy of serological tests individually used in the diagnosis of bovine brucellosis. The databases CABI, Cochrane Library, PubMed/MEDLINE, SciELO, Scopus and Web of Science were used to select articles. The search resulted in 5308 studies, of which 71 were selected for systematic review using quality assessment tools and 65 studies were included in the meta-analysis. For the meta-analysis, 178 assays and 11 different serological tests were considered. To estimate DSe and DSp of the tests, studies were divided according to animal selection for the studies: (1) studies that carried out a random or consecutive selection of participants (noncasecontrol studies) and (2) all studies, including casecontrol studies. Considering only the non-case-control studies to estimate the DSe, the tests that exhibited the best and worst performance were the iELISA test (indirect enzyme immunoassay - bacterial suspension as antigen - BS) (96.5%, 95% CI: 94.1-97.9%) and 2ME (2- mercaptoethanol test) (85.0%, 95% CI: 79.6-89.1%), respectively; while for DSp, the FPA (fluorescence polarization assay) (99, 7%, 95% CI: 99.5-99.8%) and PCFIA tests (protein concentration fluorescence immunoassay) (78.5%, 95% CI: 70.0-85.1%) showed better and worse performance, respectively. Overall, our results showed an overestimation in the DSe and DSp of the eleven serological tests assessed when casecontrol studies were included in the meta-analysis, which is a concern considering its impacts on the time and costs associated with populational diagnosis of the diseases, since several of these tests are routinely used in the control and eradication programs of bovine brucellosis worldwide. Furthermore, the tests that exhibited the best DSe and DSp, iELISA (BS) and FPA, respectively, are relatively easy to perform and interpret and the test which showed the best overall accuracy was FPA.

Current technologies to endotoxin detection and removal for biopharmaceutical purification

Endotoxins are the major contributors to the pyrogenic response caused by contaminated pharmaceutical products, formulation ingredients, and medical devices. Recombinant biopharmaceutical products are manufactured using living organisms, including Gram-negative bacteria. Upon the death of a Gram-negative bacterium, endotoxins (also known as lipopolysaccharides) in the outer cell membrane are released into the lysate where they can interact with and form bonds with biomolecules, including target therapeutic compounds. Endotoxin contamination of biologic products may also occur through water, raw materials such as excipients, media, additives, sera, equipment, containers closure systems, and expression systems used in manufacturing. The manufacturing process is, therefore, in critical need of methods to reduce and remove endotoxins by monitoring raw materials and in-process intermediates at critical steps, in addition to final drug product release testing. This review paper highlights a discussion on three major topics about endotoxin detection techniques, upstream processes for the production of therapeutic molecules, and downstream processes to eliminate endotoxins during product purification. Finally, we have evaluated the effectiveness of endotoxin removal processes from a perspective of high purity and low cost.

Development of an Individual Rapid Test Based on Enzymatic Immunofiltration Assay for Detection of Anti–Brucella Abortus Antibody in Bovine Sera

To detect bovine antibody directed to smooth lipopolysaccharide (LPS), cell lysate (LYS), O-polysaccharide (OPS), and LPS-deprived chromatographic fractions (ChF) of Brucella abortus, 2 bi-antigenic diagnostic models based on the enzymatic rapid immunofiltration assay (ERIFA), ERIFALPS/LYS and ERIFAOPS/ChF, were developed. Their diagnostic performance was compared with complement fixation test (CFT), Rose Bengal test (RBT), indirect in-house and commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (iELISA and com-ELISA, respectively), based on the smooth LPS antigen, by using a total of 420 cattle sera collected from aborted-unvaccinated, aborted-unvaccinated and culture-positive, healthy-unvaccinated, and healthy-vaccinated cattle. The results demonstrated excellent agreement and no statistical difference between iELISAs and LPS-, LYS-, OPS-based ERIFA models. However, diagnostic performance of CFT, RBT, and ChF-based ERIFA was less significant than that of LPS-, LYS-, and OPS-based ERIFA models, and iELISAs. The results demonstrated a successful adaptation of the multi-antigenic ERIFA model to anti– B. abortus antibody in bovine sera and suggest that the ERIFA model can be considered as an “individual rapid ELISA” due to its similarity with ELISA, individual applicability, and rapidity in determining reactor animals within 5 minutes. In conclusion, the potential of multi-antigenic applications can make the rapid ERIFA model not only an alternative screening method but also a confirmatory test for bovine brucellosis diagnosis.

Cloning and expression of the immunoreactive Brucella melitensis 28 kDa outer-membrane protein (Omp28) encoding gene and evaluation of the potential of Omp28 for clinical diagnosis of brucellosis

Brucellosis is a disease caused by Gram-negative, facultative, intracellular bacteria belonging to the genus Brucella. It is an emerging zoonosis, and an economically important infection of humans and livestock with a worldwide distribution. Human infection is known to occur through consumption of infected raw milk, milk products and undercooked or raw meat. Serodiagnosis of brucellosis is carried out by detection of antibodies generated against LPS or whole-cell bacterial extracts by ELISA or agglutination tests using colorimetry. The present study was designed to develop a highly sensitive and specific indirect ELISA in both a microtitre plate and dot-blot format employing the recombinant outer-membrane protein 28 (rOmp28). Cloning and expression of Brucella melitensis Omp28 protein, which is a group 3 antigen, was accomplished by PCR amplification and cloning of the gene in a pET-28a expression system, followed by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography purification of the His-tagged recombinant protein. An indirect ELISA in both a microtitre plate and dot-blot format was optimized with sera collected from three groups: culture-confirmed cases, clinically suspected cases and healthy individuals. The rOmp28 protein reacted only with the culture-confirmed positive samples and no reaction was observed with culture-negative samples, confirming the immunoreactivity of the recombinant protein. The test in both formats had a correlation of approximately 90 % with the Rose Bengal plate agglutination test (RBPT) and a standard tube agglutination test, assays that are routinely performed for the serodiagnosis of brucellosis. The sensitivity and specificity of the assay in the plate format were 97.50 and 85.59 %, and in the dot-blot format were 82.05 and 92.43%, respectively, in comparison with RBPT. The specificity of this assay was further confirmed by testing samples that were positive for malaria and typhoid, which gave negative results. This ELISA system in microtitre plates and a dot-blot format will be useful for the rapid screening of large numbers of samples for the diagnosis of human brucellosis in endemic areas.

Red blood cells do not attenuate the SPCE fluorescence in surface assays

We describe the positive effect of surface plasmon-coupled fluorescence emission (SPCE) on the detection of a signal from a surface immunoassay in highly absorbing or/and scattering samples. A model immunoassay using fluorescently labeled anti-rabbit antibodies that bind to rabbit immunoglobulin on a silver surface was performed, and the signal was detected in the presence of various highly absorbing and/or scattering solutions or suspensions, such as hemoglobin solution, plastic beads, and red blood cells. The results showed that a highly absorbing solution consisting of small molecules (dye, hemoglobin) attenuates the SPCE signal approximately 2-3-fold. In contrast, suspensions with the same absorption containing large particles (large beads, red blood cell suspension) attenuate the SPCE signal only slightly, approximately 5-10%. Also, a suspension of large undyed, highly scattering beads does not reduce the SPCE signal. The effects on the immunoassay signal of the sample background absorption and scattering, the size of the background particles, and the geometry of the experimental set-up are discussed. We believe that SPCE is a promising technique in the development of biosensors utilized for surface-based assays, as well as any assays performed directly in highly absorbing and/or scattering solutions without washing or separation procedures. Figure Red blood cells (unlike hemoglobin) do not attenuate the SPCE fluorescence in surface assays.