Development of an immunocytochemical procedure to detect adenoviral antigens in chicken tissues.

An immunocytochemical technique utilizing an avidin-biotin peroxidase complex was developed to detect viral antigens in various tissues following oral administration of a locally isolated serotype 8 avian adenovirus (AAV) in specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens. A strong color reaction was obtained with tissues from infected birds that contained a minimal amount of AAV antigens as determined by an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. No reaction was detected in sections of tissues obtained from SPF chickens, and the reactivity with infected tissues could be removed by prior absorption of the primary antibody with purified AAV. A group-specific antigen common to the 12 serotypes of AAV was demonstrated by this technique. Because of the high sensitivity and broad-spectrum reactivity, this technique could be useful for studying the pathogenesis and laboratory diagnosis of inclusion body hepatitis caused by several serotypes of AAV.