Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T22:05:54.089Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A rapid and sensitive intracellular flow cytometric assay to identify Theileria parva infection within target cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 September 2007

M. S. ROCCHI*
Affiliation:
Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik EH26 0PZScotland
K. T. BALLINGALL
Affiliation:
Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik EH26 0PZScotland
D. NGUGI
Affiliation:
Division of Animal Health and Welfare, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Veterinary Centre, Roslin EH25 9RG, Scotland
N. D. MacHUGH
Affiliation:
Division of Animal Health and Welfare, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Veterinary Centre, Roslin EH25 9RG, Scotland
D. J. McKEEVER
Affiliation:
Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 7TA
*
*Corresponding author: Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik EH26 0PZ, Scotland, UK. Tel: 0044 (0)131 4455111. Fax: 0044 (0)131 4456111. E-mail: Mara.Rocchi@Moredun.ac.uk

Summary

Theileria parva is an intracellular protozoan parasite transmitted by ticks that causes a fatal lymphoproliferative disease of cattle known as East Coast Fever. Vaccination against the disease currently relies on inoculation of the infective sporozoite stage of the parasite and simultaneous treatment with long-acting formulations of oxytetracycline. Sporozoites are maintained as frozen stabilates of triturated infected ticks and the method requires accurate titration of stabilates to determine appropriate dose rates. Titration has traditionally been undertaken in cattle and requires large numbers of animals because of individual variation in susceptibility to infection. An alternative tissue culture-based method is laborious and time consuming. We have developed a flow cytometric method for quantifying the infectivity of sporozoite stabilates in vitro based on the detection of intracellular parasite antigen. The method allows clear identification of parasitized cells with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity. Analysis of infected cells between 48 and 72 h post-infection clearly defines the potential transforming capability of different stabilates.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Brown, C. G., Stagg, D. A., Purnell, R. E., Kanhai, G. K. and Payne, R. C. (1973). Letter: Infection and transformation of bovine lymphoid cells in vitro by infective particles of Theileria parva. Nature, London 245, 101103.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brown, C. G. D. (1987). Theileriidae. In In Vitro Methods for Parasite Cultivation (ed. Taylor, A. E. R. and Baker, J. R.), pp. 230253. Academic Press, New York, USA.Google Scholar
Buscher, G., Morrison, W. I. and Nelson, R. T. (1984). Titration in cattle of infectivity and immunogenicity of autologous cell lines infected with Theileria parva. Veterinary Parasitology 15, 2938.Google Scholar
Cunningham, M. P., Brown, C. G. D., Burridge, M. J. and Purnell, R. E. (1973). Cryopreservation of infective particles of Theileria parva. International Journal for Parasitology 3, 583587.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fawcett, D. W., Doxsey, S., Stagg, D. A. and Young, A. S. (1982). The entry of sporozoites of Theileria parva into bovine lymphocytes in vitro. Electron microscopic observations. European Journal of Cell Biology 27, 1021.Google ScholarPubMed
Goullin, B., Belloc, F., Duiman, P., Masseron, T., Lacombe, F. and Floch, J. J. (1992). Flow cytometric detection of intracellular Leishmania. Biology of the Cell 76, 276.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Malmquist, W. A., Nyindo, M. B. A. and Brown, C. G. (1970). East Coast fever: cultivation in vitro of bovine spleen cell lines infected and transformed by Theileria parva. Tropical Animal Health and Production 2, 139145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marcotty, T., Berkvens, D., Besa, R. K., Losson, B., Dolan, T. T., Madder, M., Chaka, G., Van den, B. P. and Brandt, J. (2003). Lyophilisation and resuscitation of sporozoites of Theileria parva: preliminary experiments. Vaccine 22, 213216.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mbassa, G. K., Kweka, L. E. and Dulla, P. N. (1998). Immunization against East Coast Fever in field cattle with low infectivity Theileria parva stabilate–preliminary assessment. Veterinary Parasitology 77, 4148.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morrison, W. I., MacHugh, N. D. and Lalor, P. A. (1996). Pathogenicity of Theileria parva is influenced by the host cell type infected by the parasite. Infection and Immunity 64, 557562.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mukhebi, A. W., Perry, B. D. and Kruska, R. (1992). Estimated economics of theileriosis control in Africa. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 12, 7385.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pipano, E., Morzaria, S., Spooner, P. and Shkap, V. (2004). Theileriosis. In Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals. Part 2, section 2.3. OIE, World Organization for Animal Health, Paris, France.Google Scholar
Radley, D. E. (1981). Infection and treatment method of immunization against theileriosis. In Advances in the Control of Theileriosis (ed. Irvin, A. D., Cunningham, M. P. and Young, A. S.), pp. 227237. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Boston. USA.Google Scholar
Rocchi, M., Ballingall, K., MacHugh, N. and McKeever, D. (2006). The kinetics of Theileria parva infection and lymphocyte transformation in vitro. International Journal for Parasitology 36, 771778.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Teh, H. S., Harley, E., Philips, R. A. and Miller, R. G. (1977). Quantitative studies on the precursors of cytotoxic lymphocytes. I. Characterization of a clonal assay and determination of the size of clones derived from single precursors. Journal of Immunology 118, 1049–56.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Toye, P., Nyanjui, J., Goddeeris, B. and Musoke, A. J. (1996). Identification of neutralization and diagnostic epitopes on PIM, the polymorphic immunodominant molecule of Theileria parva. Infection and Immunity 64, 18321838.Google Scholar
Walker, A. R., McKellar, S. B., Bell, L. J. and Brown, C. G. D. (1979). Rapid quantitative assessment of Theileria infection in ticks. Tropical Animal Health and Production 11, 2126.Google Scholar
Wilkie, G. M., Kirvar, E. and Brown, C. G. (2002). Validation of an in vitro method to determine infectivity of cryopreserved sporozoites in stabilates of Theileria spp. Veterinary Parasitology 104, 199209.Google Scholar