ANTIBODIES TO PIGEON ANTIGENS IN PIGEON-BREEDERS - DETECTION OF ANTIBODIES BY AN ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT-ASSAY

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  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 63  (2) , 113-121
Abstract
Antibodies to whole pigeon serum (PS) and pigeon dropping extract (PDE) were investigated in pigeon breeders and controls by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The optimal antigen concentration was in the range of 3-30 .mu.g protein/ml for both PS and PDE. PDE antibody titers .gtoreq. 10240 were found in 3 (75%) of 4 patients with pigeon breeders'' disease (PBD) and in 19 (13.6%) of 140 other pigeon breeders (P = 0.011). PS antibody titers .gtoreq. 10240 occurred in all 4 (100%) PBD patients and in only 7 (5.0%) of 140 other breeders (P = 0.0002). In 85 blood donors antibodies in low titers against PS and PDE occurred in 4.7% and 7.1%, respectively. By immunodiffusion 3 or more precipitin lines were found more often in PBD patients than in other breeders (P = 0.0006), and the highest ELISA antibody titers occurred in patients with precipitating antibodies. No correlation between P blood group phenotypes or anti-P1 antibodies and respiratory symptoms or antibodies to pigeon antigens could be demonstrated.

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