RESUMO
A trial was performed using 20 goats to evaluate the antibody responses to a liposome-adjuvanted Clostridium perfringens epsilon toxoid vaccine (LIPV). The antibody response was compared with those produced by epsilon toxoid vaccines prepared using aluminium hydroxide (ALV) and incomplete Freud's adjuvant (FAV). The animals were allocated to four groups at the beginning of the trial. The animals in group 1 were vaccinated with ALV, while the animals in group 2 received FAV and those in groups 3 and 4 were vaccinated with LIPV. The animals in groups 1 to 3 received three doses of the corresponding vaccine at intervals of three weeks, while those in group 4 received only 1 dose of vaccine at the beginning of the trial. A blood sample was obtained from all the goats at the beginning of the trial and then weekly for 8 weeks. The samples were analysed for epsilon toxoid antibodies by an indirect ELISA technique. No major clinical abnormalities were observed in the animals after vaccination, with the exception of those that received the FAV, which experienced transient lameness. The highest antibody response was observed in the animals vaccinated with FAV, but they presented moderate to severe inflammatory tissue reactions at the injection site. Moderately high antibody responses were obtained with the ALV, with which only minor local reactions were observed. No significant antibody responses were obtained with the LIPV, nor were local reactions observed.
Assuntos
Toxinas Bacterianas/administração & dosagem , Infecções por Clostridium/veterinária , Clostridium perfringens/imunologia , Portadores de Fármacos , Doenças das Cabras/imunologia , Imunização/veterinária , Hidróxido de Alumínio , Animais , Anticorpos Antibacterianos/sangue , Toxinas Bacterianas/uso terapêutico , Vacinas Bacterianas/uso terapêutico , Infecções por Clostridium/prevenção & controle , Ensaio de Imunoadsorção Enzimática/veterinária , Adjuvante de Freund , Doenças das Cabras/microbiologia , Doenças das Cabras/prevenção & controle , Cabras , Histocitoquímica , Injeções Intramusculares/veterinária , Injeções Subcutâneas/veterinária , Radioisótopos do Iodo/química , Lipossomos , Distribuição AleatóriaRESUMO
Indirect and competitive ELISA techniques were developed and their ability to detect antibodies to Clostridium perfringens epsilon toxin in goat serum was compared. Different dilutions of a hyperimmune goat serum, in serum from a colostrum-deprived kid, were used as positive controls, while sera from eleven colostrum-deprived kids were used as negative controls. The epsilon toxin antibodies in the hyperimmune serum were also measured by mouse neutralisation test (MNT). The correlation coefficient between both the indirect ELISA technique and MNT was 0.99, while the same coefficient for the competitive ELISA was 0.98. Both the indirect and competitive ELISAs proved to be rapid, simple, sensitive and specific for detecting antibodies to C. perfringens epsilon toxin in serum of goats.