Document Detail


Comparison of diagnostic techniques for Helicobacter cetorum infection in wild Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  12843010     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Helicobacter cetorum sp. nov. has been cultured from the stomach of Atlantic white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus acutus) and the feces of Pacific white-sided (L. obliquidens) and Atlantic bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) dolphins and a beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas). H. cetorum has high homology to Helicobacter pylori as shown by 16S rRNA sequencing, and H. cetorum infection has been associated with gastritis and clinical signs in cetaceans. Because the prevalence of H. cetorum in wild populations is unknown, minimally invasive techniques for detecting H. cetorum were compared for 20 wild bottlenose dolphins sampled as part of a long-term health study. Fecal samples were tested for helicobacter by culture, Southern blotting, and PCR using genus-specific and H. cetorum-specific primers. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to measure H. cetorum immunoglobulin G (IgG). H. cetorum was cultured from 4 of 20 fecal samples, 7 samples were positive using Helicobacter sp. PCR, and 8 samples were positive for H. cetorum using species-specific primers. Two additional fecal samples were positive by Helicobacter sp. Southern blotting, suggesting infection with another helicobacter. All 20 sera contained high levels of IgG antibodies to H. cetorum that were significantly lowered by preabsorption of the sera with whole-cell suspensions of H. cetorum (P < 0.02). Until the specificity of the serum ELISA can be determined by testing sera from dolphins confirmed to be uninfected, PCR and Southern blot screenings of feces are the most sensitive techniques for detection of H. cetorum, and results indicate there is at least a 50% prevalence of H. cetorum infection in these dolphins.
Authors:
Claudia G Harper; Mark T Whary; Yan Feng; Howard L Rhinehart; Randall S Wells; Shilu Xu; Nancy S Taylor; James G Fox
Publication Detail:
Type:  Comparative Study; Evaluation Studies; Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of clinical microbiology     Volume:  41     ISSN:  0095-1137     ISO Abbreviation:  J. Clin. Microbiol.     Publication Date:  2003 Jul 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2003-07-04     Completed Date:  2003-10-02     Revised Date:  2013-04-18    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7505564     Medline TA:  J Clin Microbiol     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  2842-8     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Animals
Animals, Wild / microbiology*
Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
Blotting, Southern
Culture Media
DNA Primers
Dolphins / microbiology*
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Feces / microbiology
Helicobacter / classification*,  genetics,  immunology,  isolation & purification
Helicobacter Infections / diagnosis,  microbiology,  veterinary*
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Sensitivity and Specificity
Species Specificity
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
R01-AI37750/AI/NIAID NIH HHS; T32-RR07036/RR/NCRR NIH HHS
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Antibodies, Bacterial; 0/Culture Media; 0/DNA Primers
Comments/Corrections

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