Adkison M A, Stott J L, Osburn B I
Department of Microbiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616.
Vet Microbiol. 1988 Mar;16(3):231-41. doi: 10.1016/0378-1135(88)90027-2.
Humoral immune responses of sheep to natural bluetongue virus (BTV) infection were studied on a temporal basis. The temporal development of viral protein-specific IgG was determined by western immunoblotting; virus neutralization and agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) were conducted for comparative purposes. Prior to the emergence of the arthropod vector and the associated transmission of BTV, virus-neutralizing antibody was absent from all sentinel sheep; 3 sheep had pre-existing AGID antibody and all sheep had IgG, specific for 4 viral proteins, as determined by immunoblotting. Following emergence of the BTV vector, 9 of 11 sheep became infected, as determined by virus isolation, with BTV. All sheep developed virus-neutralizing and AGID antibody. However, only those sheep with a demonstrable viremia experienced an increase in viral protein-specific antibody. Development of viral protein-specific IgG varied with the individual animal and no obvious correlation between a specific response and protective immunity or viral clearance was noted. From a diagnostic viewpoint, the immunoblotting procedure was superior in identifying past exposure to BTV, as compared with neutralization and AGID. In addition, the application of immunoblotting to paired serum samples appeared to be a sensitive indicator of viremia.
对绵羊自然感染蓝舌病病毒（BTV）后的体液免疫反应进行了时间序列研究。通过蛋白质免疫印迹法测定病毒蛋白特异性IgG的时间动态变化；为作比较，进行了病毒中和试验和琼脂凝胶免疫扩散试验（AGID）。在节肢动物媒介出现及相关的BTV传播之前，所有哨兵羊均未检测到病毒中和抗体；3只羊有预先存在的AGID抗体，通过免疫印迹法测定，所有羊均有针对4种病毒蛋白的IgG。在BTV媒介出现后，通过病毒分离确定，11只羊中有9只感染了BTV。所有羊均产生了病毒中和抗体和AGID抗体。然而，只有那些出现明显病毒血症的羊，其病毒蛋白特异性抗体才有所增加。病毒蛋白特异性IgG的产生因个体动物而异，未发现特定反应与保护性免疫或病毒清除之间存在明显相关性。从诊断角度来看，与中和试验和AGID相比，蛋白质免疫印迹法在识别过去是否接触过BTV方面更具优势。此外，将蛋白质免疫印迹法应用于配对血清样本似乎是病毒血症的一个敏感指标。
