Detection of Serum IgG Specific for <i>Brachyspira pilosicoli</i> and “<i>Brachyspira canis</i>” in Dogs

oleh: Julia Gothe, Matthias Horn, Christoph G. Baums, Romy M. Heilmann, Wieland Schrödl

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2024-07-01

Deskripsi

<i>Brachyspira pilosicoli</i> (<i>B. pilosicoli</i>) is a pathogen in pigs, poultry, and humans causing colitis, diarrhea, and poor growth rates. Its role as a canine pathogen is controversial, and the seroprevalence of specific IgG antibodies against <i>B. pilosicoli</i> in dogs is unknown. A further, not yet officially recognized <i>Brachyspira</i> species in dogs is “<i>Brachyspira canis</i>” (“<i>B. canis</i>“), which is proposed to be apathogenic. This study evaluates enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) measuring serum IgG antibodies specific for <i>B. pilosicoli</i> or “<i>B. canis</i>” and investigates levels of specific IgG antibodies against <i>B. pilosicoli</i> and “<i>B. canis</i>” in a cohort of clinical patients presented at an animal referral clinic. These ELISAs use detergent-extracted antigens from <i>B. pilosicoli</i> and “<i>B. canis</i>”. To increase analytic specificity, we precipitated the antigens with trichloroacetic acid (TCA) to isolate and concentrate the respective protein fraction. Our results indicate that a large number of serum IgG antibodies bind to shared epitopes of detergent-extracted antigens of the two spirochaetes. Our data also suggest that dogs might not only carry <i>B. pilosicoli</i> but also have “<i>B. canis</i>”-specific serum IgG antibodies.