Development of an ELISA for serological detection of feline morbillivirus infection.

Feline morbillivirus (FeMV), a member of the family Paramyxoviridae, is an emerging virus that was discovered in 2012. Despite the importance of FeMV infection in cats because of its postulated involvement in kidney diseases, no simple serological assay has been reported in its detection. Here, FeMV phosphoprotein (P protein) was expressed and purified as a glutathione-S-transferase (GST)-fusion protein and used for an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect FeMV-specific antibodies. With a cutoff value determined by immunoblotting, anti-FeMV P protein was detected with this assay in 22 (22%) of the 100 cat plasma samples collected from various regions of Japan. This ELISA is useful for epidemiological and immunological studies, as well as for diagnosis of FeMV infection.

[Comparison of quantitative image indexes of brain MRI between differentiates idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus and Alzheimer disease, predict positive response of the CSF drainage in possible idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus].

AIM: The clinical guidelines for idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) in Japan recommend cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage. The positive response rate of the diagnostic CSF drainage is not very high because brain MRI findings of Alzheimer disease (AD) are similar to those of iNPH. Therefore, we sought to determine simple, quantitative indexes of head MRI to differentiate iNPH from AD and to predict positive response of the CSF drainage in possible iNPH. METHODS: Eighteen patients with the clinical criteria of possible iNPH who had undergone diagnostic CSF drainage were evaluated. Nineteen patients with the clinical criteria of probable AD were used as controls. VSRAD, Evans index, and previously reported indicators were measured on brain MRI in all patients. These parameters were compared between AD and iNPH, and between iNPH responders and non-responders. RESULTS: VSRAD, Evans index, bifrontal index, width and height of the temporal horn, and the maximum height of the Sylvian fissure were higher in iNPH than AD. The cutoff value of the bifrontal index, width and height of the temporal horn, and maximum height of the Sylvian fissure were 0.31, 6.0 mm, 3.13 mm, and 7.6 mm, respectively. The minimum thickness of the medial temporal lobe was higher in the CSF drainage responders than the non-responders. The cutoff value of the minimum thickness of the medial temporal lobe was 11.0 mm. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that simple image indexes of brain MRI could distinguish iNPH from AD and predict positive response to CSF drainage in iNPH.

Quantitative PCR detection of feline morbillivirus in cat urine samples.

Feline morbillivirus (FmoPV) is a new virus species and its detection is important, since correlation has been reported between FmoPV virus infection and tubulointerstitial nephritis in cats. Here, we report a real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR system that can detect the FmoPV L-gene sequence with more than 10-time higher sensitivity than a conventional PCR system, resulting in detection of less than 10 copies of the template DNA. The total FmoPV positive rate of urine samples from veterinary clinics and hospitals in Japan was 15.1% (25/166) using this system. This study demonstrates usefulness of the real-time RT-PCR system for detection of FmoPV for cat urine samples.