Serology is an important tool for the diagnosis of alveolar echinococcosis (AE) in humans. In order to improve serodiagnostic performance, we have developed an in vitro-produced Echinococcus mulilocularis metacestode vesicle fluid (EmVF) antigen for application in an immunoblot assay. Immunoblot analysis of EmVF revealed an abundant immunoreactive band triplet of 20–22 kDa, achieving a sensitivity of 100% based on the testing of sera from 62 pre-operative and pre-treatment cases of active and inactive AE. Thus, the EmVF-immunoblotting allowed the specific detection of cases seronegative by the Em2- and/or EmII/3–10-ELISA, usually attributable to abortive, inactive cases of AE. The specificity of the EmVF-immunoblotting did not allow discrimination between AE and cystic echinococcosis (CE) but was 100% with respect to non-Echinococcus parasitic infections or cancer malignancies. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that the current ELISA test combination (Em2- and II/3–10-ELISA) be complemented with EmVF-immunoblotting, allowing an improved diagnosis of both clinical and subclinical forms of AE, including those associated with E. multilocularis-specific antibody reactivities not detectable by ELISA.

To differentiate pigs infected with Pseudorabies virus (PrV) from pigs vaccinated with gE-PrV, a glycoprotein E enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (gE-ELISA) based on recombinant glycoprotein E (gE) (which was expressed by Escherichia coli, purified, denatured and renatured) was developed. By testing 115 serum samples, the diagnostic specificity and sensitivity of the developed gE-ELISA were evaluated to be 94.5% and 96.7%, respectively. Five serum samples were tested with plates from five lots, and the results had a coefficient of variation of less than 10%, showing good reproducibility of gE-ELISA. This gE-ELISA was compared with a commercial blocking ELISA by testing 356 serum samples. The agreement rate of the two assays was 92.13% (328/356). These results suggested that the gE-ELISA developed in our laboratory could be used in differentiating PrV-infected and gE-PrV-vaccinated pigs.