ROUNDWORM COPROANTIGEN DETECTION

• US 20080311600A1
• Filed: 06/15/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEXX Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: IDEXX Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Flynn, Laurie A., Elsemore, David Allen
• Granted Patent: US 7,736,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/7.92
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/18 against material from animals or humans
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2333/4353 from nematodes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2800/06 Gastro-intestinal diseases
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5308 for analytes not provided for elsewhere, e.g. nucleic acids, uric acid, worms, mites

Abstract

A composition, device, kit and method for detecting the presence or absence of roundworm in a fecal sample. The composition, device, kit and method of the present invention may be used to confirm the presence or absence of roundworm in a fecal sample from a mammal that may also be infected with one or more of hookworm, whipworm, and heartworm.

Claims

1. An antibody specific for one or more roundworm antigens, said antibody not being cross-reactive with coproantigen derived from at least one member of the group consisting of hookworm, whipworm and heartworm.

2. The antibody of claim 1 wherein said antibody is a polyclonal antibody.

3. The antibody of claim 1 wherein said antibody is obtained by immunization with an extract of whole roundworm, an extract of roundworm intestine or an extract of roundworm reproductive organ.

4. The antibody of claim 3 wherein the roundworm from which the extract of whole roundworm, the extract of roundworm intestine and the extract of roundworm reproductive organ are derived is Toxocara canis.

5. The antibody of claim 1, wherein the one or more roundworm antigens are derived from Toxocara canis or Toxocara cati.

6. A device for detecting the presence or absence of roundworm in a fecal sample of a mammal, comprising a solid support, wherein one or more antibodies specific for one or more roundworm antigens are immobilized on the solid support.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the one or more antibodies specific for one or more roundworm antigens are not specific for any coproantigen derived from the group consisting of hookworm, whipworm, and heartworm.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein the one or more antibodies are obtained by immunization with an extract of whole roundworm, an extract of roundworm intestine or an extract of roundworm reproductive organ.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the roundworm from which the extract of whole roundworm, the extract of roundworm intestine and the extract of roundworm reproductive organ are derived is Toxocara canis.

10. The device of claim 6 wherein the one or more antibodies are polyclonal.

11. The device of claim 6 wherein one or more of the one or more antibodies are labeled.

12. The device of claim 6 wherein the device is an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay device.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay device is a lateral flow immunoassay device.

14. The device of claim 6 wherein the mammal is a canine or a feline.

15. The device of claim 6 wherein the device further includes one or more reagents for the detection of one or more of the group consisting of one or more non-roundworm worm parasites, one or more non-worm parasites, one or more viruses, and one or more bacteria.

16. The device of claim 6, wherein the one or more roundworm antigens are derived from Toxocara canis or Toxocara cati.

45. A kit for detection of one or more roundworm coproantigens in a sample of a mammal, the kit comprising the device of any one of claims 6-15, and one or more reagents sufficient for the detection of the one or more antigens.

46. The kit of claim 45 wherein the one or more reagents are selected from the group consisting of one or more indicator reagents, one or more antibody labeling compounds, one or more antibodies, one or more antigen capture reagents, one or more inhibitors, and one or more wash reagents.

17. A method of detecting the presence or absence of roundworm in a fecal sample of a mammal comprising:

a. contacting the fecal sample with one or more antibodies specific for one or more roundworm antigens; and

b. detecting the presence or absence of the one or more roundworm antigens or detecting the presence or absence of one or more roundworm antibody/antigen complexes.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the one or more antibodies are obtained by immunization with an extract of whole roundworm, an extract of roundworm intestine or an extract of roundworm reproductive organ.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the roundworm from which the extract of whole roundworm, the extract of roundworm intestine and the extract of roundworm reproductive organ are derived is Toxocara canis.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the one or more antibodies are polyclonal.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the mammal is a canine or a feline.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the detecting the presence or absence of one or more antibody/antigen complexes further includes the step of providing a secondary antibody that binds to the one or more antibody/antigen complexes.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein one or more of the one or more antibodies are labeled.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the secondary antibody is labeled.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein the one or more antibodies are immobilized on a solid support.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the solid support forms part of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay device.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay device is a lateral flow immunoassay device.

28. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of contacting the fecal sample with one or more reagents to detect one or more of the group consisting of:

one or more non-roundworm worm parasites, one or more non-worm parasites, one or more viruses, and one or more bacteria.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the reagents for the detection of any one or all of the one or more non-roundworm worm parasites, the one or more non-worm parasites, the one or more viruses and the one or more bacteria are one or more antibodies or one or more antigens recognized by antibodies specific for the one or more non-roundworm worm parasites, the one or more non-worm parasites, the one or more viruses or the one or more bacteria.

30. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more roundworm antigens are derived from Toxocara canis or Toxocara cati.

31. A method of diagnosing an intestinal roundworm infection in a mammal, the method comprising the steps of:

a. obtaining a fecal sample from the mammal;

b. contacting the fecal sample with one or more antibodies specific for one or more roundworm antigens;

c. detecting the presence or absence of the one or more roundworm antigens or detecting the presence or absence of one or more roundworm antibody/antigen complexes; and

d. diagnosing the mammal as having or as not having the roundworm infection based on the detection of the presence or absence of the one or more roundworm antigens or detecting the presence or absence of one or more roundworm antibody/antigen complexes.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the one or more antibodies are obtained by immunization with an extract of whole roundworm, an extract of roundworm intestine or an extract of roundworm reproductive organ.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the roundworm from which the extract of whole roundworm, the extract of roundworm intestine and the extract of roundworm reproductive organ are derived is Toxocara canis.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein the one or more antibodies are polyclonal.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein the mammal is a canine or a feline.

36. The method of claim 31 wherein the detecting the presence or absence of one or more antibody/antigen complexes further includes the step of providing a secondary antibody that binds to the one or more antibody/antigen complexes.

37. The method of claim 31 wherein one or more of the one or more antibodies are labeled.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the secondary antibody is labeled.

39. The method of claim 31 wherein the one or more antibodies are immobilized on a solid support.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the solid support forms part of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay device.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay device is a lateral flow immunoassay device.

42. The method of claim 31 further comprising the step of contacting the fecal sample with one or more reagents to detect one or more of the group consisting of:

one or more non-roundworm worm parasites, one or more non-worm parasites, one or more viruses, and one or more bacteria.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein the reagents for the detection of any one or all of the one or more non-roundworm worm parasites, the one or more non-worm parasites, the one or more viruses and the one or more bacteria are one or more antibodies or one or more antigens recognized by antibodies specific for the one or more non-roundworm worm parasites, the one or more non-worm parasites, the one or more viruses or the one or more bacteria.

44. The method of claim 31, wherein the one or more roundworm antigens are derived from Toxocara canis or Toxocara cati.