Detection of specific antibodies to pigeon serum and bloom antigens by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in pigeon breeder's disease
M J Rodrigoa, M I Benaventa, M J Cruzb, M Rosella, C Muriob, C Pascuala, F Morellb
a Servei de
Bioquímica, Hospital General Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain, b Servei de Pneumologia
Correspondence to: Dr Maria-José Rodrigo, Servei de Bioquímica (Immunology Unit), Hospital General Vall d'Hebron, Passeig Vall d'Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain email mjrodri{at}ar.vhebron.es
Accepted 15 October
1999
BACKGROUND
Pigeon
breeder's disease is an extrinsic allergic alveolitis in the lungs of
sensitised people, caused by hypersensitivity reactions to inhaled
pigeon antigens. Antigens from different sources of the animal are used
for diagnostic purposes, with serum being the most widely used. Bloom
is rarely used; very little is known of its antigenicity and diagnostic
performance, particularly when used with the enzyme linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method, which is the most popular test as
it permits measurement of the antibody response.
METHODSTo
(a) standardise an ELISA for the measurement
of specific IgG against pigeon serum and pigeon bloom extract;
(b) to establish reference values for
specific IgG in 73 non-exposed controls, (c) to show the presence of
specific IgG against pigeon serum and bloom in serum samples of 17 patients with bird fancier's lung and 11 asymptomatic fanciers, and
(d) to study the similarity of the two
antigen sources by cross reactivity experiments.
RESULTSReference
values of specific IgG were defined with the 97.5 percentile (367.9 U/ml for pigeon serum and 953.7 U/ml for pigeon bloom extract). Of
symptomatic patients 100% had values higher than the cut off for both
antigens. In asymptomatic fanciers values were higher than the cut off
for pigeon serum in 45% and bloom extract in 54%. Cross reactivity
experiments showed that the two antigens differed in antigenic content
although some components may be common to both.
CONCLUSIONThe ELISA
methods used proved to be useful tools for evaluating specific IgG
antibody responses against both antigens. The diagnostic performance of
both ELISA methods performed with these antigen sources was similar,
showing very high sensitivity but moderate specificity. Although some
antigenic similarity was found between pigeon serum and bloom extract,
cross reactivity studies showed that various antigens seemed to be
specific to the bloom extract. However, the antigens responsible for
pigeon breeder's disease seem to be present in both antigenic sources.
Keywords: antibodies; pigeons; ELISA
© 2000 by Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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