Gc. Newbound et al., COMPARATIVE-ANALYSIS OF A MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY-BASED IMMUNOFLUORESCENCE TEST FOR PLASMACYTOID LEUKEMIA IN CHINOOK SALMON ONCORHYNCHUS-TSHAWYTSCHA, Diseases of aquatic organisms, 21(2), 1995, pp. 123-130
Plasmacytoid leukemia (PL) is a lymphoproliferative disorder that affe
cts netpen-reared chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in British C
olumbia, Canada. The only diagnostic test for PL is histologic evaluat
ion of suspect fish. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) previously reported
to react with tissues of PL-affected fish were used in a quantitative
indirect fluorescence antibody (IFA) test. These MAbs reacted with a 7
5 kDa antigen that is highly expressed in tissues of fish with PL. Usi
ng experimentally infected fish, the sensitivity, specificity, and pre
dictive values of the IFA test were compared to those of the standard
histologic test. The IFA test was determined to have a sensitivity of
72 %, which was significantly higher than that of histologic examinati
on, and could detect experimental infection at 3 wk post-injection, ea
rlier than histologic examination. The sensitivity and practicality of
the IFA test will enable it to be a useful screening test for the det
ection of PL.