Single dilution ELISAs using soluble piroplasm, cellular schizont and soluble schizont antigens for the detection of antibodies against Theileria annulata.

Single dilution ELISAs were standardised for the determination of antibody titres against Theileria annulata using three antigens namely soluble piroplasm, cellular schizont or soluble schizont antigens. Antibody titres of 20 cattle serum samples of known identity were determined by multi-dilution ELISA using the three antigens. The ratio of the optical density (OD) of known positive and known negative sera at different serum dilutions were calculated and termed as positive/negative (P/N) ratios. Coefficients of correlation (r) were calculated between the P/N ratios at different dilutions of known sera and their log10 antibody titres by multi-dilution ELISA. The value of "r" was the highest at the dilution of 1:400. From the log10 antibody titres of known sera and their P/N ratios at the dilution of 1:400, regression equations (Y = a + bX, where Y = predicted log10 titre, X = the P/N ratio at 1:400 dilution) were calculated separately for the three antigens. Thus, the equations Y = 1.63 + 1.35X for soluble piroplasm, Y = 2.67 + 0.547X for cellular schizont and Y = 1.817 + 0.663X for soluble schizont antigens were derived. Test sera were diluted to 1:400 and their OD were read in duplicate wells and converted to P/N ratios. The antibody titres were predicted from the P/N ratios using the above mentioned regression equations. Twenty randomly selected sera tested by single and multidilution ELISAs showed non-significant differences (P < 0.01) between antibody titres. Antibody titres of 90 unknown field sera of cattle were determined by single dilution ELISA. The piroplasm antigen detected higher antibody titres followed by cellular schizont and soluble schizont antigens. The study revealed that a single dilution ELISA could be successfully used for field epidemiological studies of tropical theileriosis.