Detection of analytes in fecal samples

• US 20040214244A1
• Filed: 04/25/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEXX Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: IDEXX Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Groat, Randall G., Monn, Michael, Tonelli, Quentin Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,781,170 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/7.22
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5308 for analytes not provided for elsewhere, e.g. nucleic acids, uric acid, worms, mites

Abstract

A method for detecting a parasitic worm infection of the digestive tract of a mammal. The method includes detecting the binding of a worm antibody to a worm antigen present in the soluble portion of a fecal sample of infected mammals.

Claims

1. A method for detecting the presence or absence of a parasitic worm infection in an animal comprising:

contacting the soluble worm component of a fecal sample from the animal with a first antibody raised against the trichloroacetic acid soluble fraction of a disrupted parasitic worm; and

detecting the presence or absence of an antigen/antibody complex thereby determining the presence or absence of a parasitic worm infection in the animal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting further comprises providing a second antibody that binds to the antigen of the antigen/antibody complex, wherein the second antibody is the same as the first antibody.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the disrupted parasitic worm is selected from the group consisting of heartworm, tapeworm, roundworm, hookworm, and whipworm.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the disrupted parasitic worm is a heartworm.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the animal is canine or feline.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the first or second antibody is attached to a phase that is immiscible with the sample.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the phase is a solid phase.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the first or second antibody is bound to a label.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the label is an enzyme, a colloidal particle, a radionuclide or a fluorophore.

10. A method for detecting the presence or absence of a parasitic worm antigen in animal feces comprising:

(a) forming a mixture comprising the soluble portion of a fecal sample and an antibody raised against the trichloroacetic acid soluble fraction of a disrupted parasitic worm that specifically binds a heartworm antigen;

(b) detecting whether the antibody specifically binds an antigen in the fecal sample, thereby determining a the presence of a parasitic worm antigen in feces.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the disrupted parasitic worm is heartworm.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the antibody is attached to a phase that is immiscible with the sample.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the phase is a solid phase.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the antibody is bound to a detectable moiety.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the detectable moiety is an enzyme, a colloidal particle, a radionuclide or a fluorophore.

16. A method for detecting whether the digestive tract of an animal is infected with a parasitic worm comprising:

immobilizing antibody to heartworm on a solid phase;

adding a soluble portion of a fecal sample from the animal to the solid phase;

detecting the binding of a parasitic worm antigen to the immobilized antibody, thereby detecting whether the animal is infected with a parasitic worm.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the detecting the binding of the parasitic worm antigen to the immobilized antibody comprises contacting the solid phase with a heartworm antibody conjugated to a label.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising adding a heartworm antigen conjugated to a label to the solid phase after the addition of the soluble portion of the fecal sample and determining the presence, absence or amount of the binding of the labeled antigen to the antibody.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising testing a blood sample from the mammal to detect the presence or absence of heartworm antigen in the blood sample.

20. A method for detecting the presence or absence of an intestinal parasitic worm infection comprising:

(a) providing a lateral flow immunoassay device having a solid phase;

(b) providing a first antibody raised against a heartworm antigen;

(c) immobilizing the first antibody on the solid phase of the immunoassay device;

(d) providing a second, labeled antibody;

(e) providing a soluble fraction of a fecal sample;

(f) contacting the soluble fraction of the fecal sample with the second, labeled antibody;

(g) allowing the soluble fraction of the fecal sample and the second, labeled antibody to flow along the immunoassay device towards the immobilized first antibody; and

(h) determining the presence or absence of an intestinal parasite by observing the presence or absence of a signal in the vicinity of the first, immobilized antibody.

21. A method for detecting the presence of absence of an intestinal parasitic worm infection in an animal comprising:

(a) running a blood sample from the animal on a heartworm antigen detection device to determine the presence or absence of heartworm antigen in the blood sample; and

(b) if the blood sample is negative for the presence of heartworm antigen, running a fecal sample from the same animal on a parasitic worm antigen detection device to determine the presence or absence of parasitic worm antigen in the fecal sample.