Evaluation of an indirect ELISA using recombinant granule antigen Gra7 for serodiagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection in cats

J Parasitol. 2015 Feb;101(1):37-40. doi: 10.1645/14-575.1. Epub 2014 Sep 12.

Abstract

The precise detection of Toxoplasma gondii infection in cats has important public health significance. In the present study, recombinant granule antigen protein GRA7 was evaluated as a potential diagnostic marker for T. gondii infection in cats by an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), using the classified serum samples from cats, by immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and by modified agglutination test (MAT). There was a perfect agreement (97.2%) between GRA7-ELISA and MAT/IFA (Kappa = 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85 to 0.99), and GRA7-ELISA had a sensitivity of 94.9% and a specificity of 97.9%. No significant difference (P > 0.05) was observed between the detection results by GRA7- and Toxoplasma lysate antigen-based ELISA. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed a relative sensitivity and specificity of 89.7 and 92.5% at the cut-off value of 0.1 for GRA7-ELISA. These data demonstrate that GRA7 is a promising serodiagnostic marker for T. gondii infection in cats.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Agglutination Tests / veterinary
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Protozoan / blood
  • Antigens, Protozoan* / genetics
  • Antigens, Protozoan* / immunology
  • Biomarkers
  • Cat Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Cat Diseases / parasitology
  • Cats
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / methods
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / standards
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / veterinary*
  • Female
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique / veterinary
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Male
  • Protozoan Proteins* / genetics
  • Protozoan Proteins* / immunology
  • ROC Curve
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / immunology
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Toxoplasma / immunology*
  • Toxoplasmosis, Animal / diagnosis*
  • Toxoplasmosis, Animal / parasitology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Protozoan
  • Antigens, Protozoan
  • Biomarkers
  • GRA7 protein, Toxoplasma gondii
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Protozoan Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins