Comparison of Immunohistochemistry, Electron Microscopy, and Direct Fluorescent Antibody Test for the Detection of Bovine Coronavirus

Bovine coronavirus (BCV) is 1 of the major causes of calf diarrhea and has also been implicated in respiratory infections of young calves and winter dysentery of adult cattle. Currently, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), direct fluorescent antibody (DFA), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques are considered standard methods for the diagnosis of BCV infection. However, these techniques are not useful if fresh tissues and intestinal contents are not available for examination. The detection of viral antigens in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues using immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a suitable alternative. In the present study, 166 tissue specimens were tested by IHC for the presence of BCV. These tissues were from animals whose feces were positive for rotavirus and/or coronavirus by TEM. Some of these samples were also tested by DFA. Thus, TEM, DFA, and IHC were compared for the detection of BCV. There was 56% agreement among the 3 methods (overall kappa = 0.368). When IHC was compared with TEM, 78% agreement was observed (kappa = 0.475). Similarly, IHC and DFA had 64% agreement (kappa = 0.277). These kappa values indicate a moderate degree of agreement between IHC and TEM; agreement between IHC and DFA was fair. The results of this study indicate that IHC may be a suitable adjunct for the detection of BCV because of its simplicity, ease of use, and relatively close correlation with TEM results.

[1]  J. R. Landis,et al.  The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. , 1977, Biometrics.

[2]  D. Landers,et al.  Plaque Variations in Clinical Isolates of Bovine Coronavirus , 1995, Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc.

[3]  Sagar M. Goyal,et al.  Experimental Infection with a Virulent Pneumoenteric Isolate of Bovine Coronavirus , 1991, Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc.

[4]  J. Mariner,et al.  Immunohistochemical detection of rinderpest virus: effects of autolysis and period of fixation. , 1996, Research in veterinary science.

[5]  Langpap Tj,et al.  Coronaviral enteritis of young calves: virologic and pathologic findings in naturally occurring infections. , 1979 .

[6]  S. Goyal,et al.  Comparison of electron microscopy with three commercial tests for the detection of rotavirus in animal feces. , 1987, Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease.

[7]  D. Haines,et al.  Technical Considerations for Developing Enzyme Immunohistochemical Staining Procedures on Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tissues for Diagnostic Pathology , 1991, Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc.

[8]  G. Allan,et al.  Demonstration of bovine virus diarrhoea virus antigen in formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tissue using a streptavidin/biotin technique. , 1989, Research in veterinary science.

[9]  H. Akashi,et al.  Detection of bovine coronavirus by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using monoclonal antibodies. , 1993, The Journal of veterinary medical science.

[10]  L. Jönsson,et al.  Immunohistochemical detection of infectious bursal disease and infectious bronchitis viral antigens in fixed, paraffin-embedded chicken tissues. , 1986 .

[11]  Flewett Th.  Electron microscopy in the diagnosis of infectious diarrhea. , 1978 .

[12]  S. Goyal,et al.  Comparison of virus isolation, immunofluorescence and electron microscopy for the diagnosis of animal viruses. , 1988, Microbiologica.

[13]  C. Mebus,et al.  Rotaviral and Coronaviral Diarrhea , 1985, Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice.

[14]  J. Evermann,et al.  Diagnosis of Naturally Occurring Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus Infections in Ruminants Using Monoclonal Antibody-based Immunohistochemistry , 1995, Veterinary pathology.

[15]  F. Del Piero,et al.  Immunoperoxidase histochemistry as a diagnostic tool for detection of equine arteritis virus antigen in formalin fixed tissues. , 1996, Equine veterinary journal.

[16]  M. J. Van Der Maaten,et al.  Demonstration of Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis Virus Antigen in Paraffin Sections , 1989, Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc.

[17]  S. Goyal,et al.  Evaluation of Shell Vial Cell Culture Technique for the Detection of Bovine Coronavirus , 1995, Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc.

[18]  David R. Smith,et al.  Evaluation of Two Antigen-Capture ELISAs using Polyclonal or Monoclonal Antibodies for the Detection of Bovine Coronavirus , 1996, Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc.

[19]  K. Sato,et al.  An immunohistochemical investigation of porcine epidemic diarrhoea , 1995, Journal of Comparative Pathology.

[20]  W. Grove.  Statistical Methods for Rates and Proportions, 2nd ed , 1981 .

[21]  A. Hyatt.  The application of electron microscopy to veterinary virus diagnosis. , 1989, Australian veterinary journal.

[22]  L. Jonsson,et al.  Immunohistochemical detection of infectious bursal disease and infectious bronchitis viral antigens in fixed, paraffin-embedded chicken tissues. , 1986, Avian pathology : journal of the W.V.P.A.

[23]  L J Saif,et al.  Winter dysentery in dairy herds: electron microscopic and serological evidence for an association with coronavirus infection , 1991, Veterinary Record.

[24]  G. Marsolais,et al.  Detection of bovine coronavirus and type A rotavirus in neonatal calf diarrhea and winter dysentery of cattle in Quebec: evaluation of three diagnostic methods. , 1994, The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne.

[25]  G. Anderson,et al.  Coronavirus isolation from nasal swab samples in cattle with signs of respiratory tract disease after shipping. , 1996, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

[26]  Martin Sw.  The evaluation of tests. , 1977 .

[27]  D. Haines,et al.  Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies for Immunohistochemical Detection of Bovine Parainfluenza Type 3 Virus in Frozen and Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tissues , 1992, Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc.

[28]  Y. Hirshaut,et al.  Detection of the feline leukemia virus and other mammalian oncornaviruses by immunofluorescence. , 1973, Bibliotheca haematologica.

[29]  P. Nettleton,et al.  Persistent bovine virus diarrhoea virus infection in a bull , 1986, Veterinary Record.

[30]  J. Almeida,et al.  Multiple viruses present in the faeces of a scouring calf , 1978, Veterinary Record.

[31]  D. Smith,et al.  Infection and cross-protection studies of winter dysentery and calf diarrhea bovine coronavirus strains in colostrum-deprived and gnotobiotic calves. , 1996, American journal of veterinary research.

[32]  P. S. Carman,et al.  Bovine coronavirus infection in Ontario 1990-1991. , 1992, The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne.

[33]  S. Kapil,et al.  Factors Affecting Isolation and Propagation of Bovine Coronavirus in Human Rectal Tumor-18 Cell Line , 1996, Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc.

[34]  Hazlett Mj,et al.  Bovine coronavirus infection in Ontario 1990-1991. , 1992 .

[35]  D. Reed,et al.  Coronaviral enteritis of young calves: virologic and pathologic findings in naturally occurring infections. , 1979, American journal of veterinary research.