The Indirect Antiglobulin (Coombs’) Test Is Specific but Less Sensitive Than the Direct Antiglobulin Test for Detecting Anti-Erythrocytic Autoantibodies and Thereby Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia in Dogs
The immunodiagnostic assessment of dogs suspected of having immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) is based on persistent autoagglutination of erythrocytes (after three saline washes), marked spherocytosis, and a positive direct antiglobulin (Coombs’) test (DAT). However, the value of using the ind...
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MDPI AG
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Veterinary Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/10/7/415 |
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| author | Nadine Idalan Elisabeth Müller Urs Giger |
| author_facet | Nadine Idalan Elisabeth Müller Urs Giger |
| author_sort | Nadine Idalan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The immunodiagnostic assessment of dogs suspected of having immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) is based on persistent autoagglutination of erythrocytes (after three saline washes), marked spherocytosis, and a positive direct antiglobulin (Coombs’) test (DAT). However, the value of using the indirect antiglobulin test (IAT) for the detection of anti-erythrocytic autoantibodies in serum from dogs suspected of having IMHA is unclear. To evaluate the IAT, leftover serum samples from a large cohort of 94 dogs suspected of having IMHA and for which DAT results were known were incubated with DAT− erythrocytes, and five IAT techniques were performed (in part with different reagents and temperatures): microtiter plate (MICRO), microcapillary, laboratory gel column, gel minitube kit (GEL KIT), and immunochromatographic strip kit. Two IAT techniques (MICRO at 37 °C and GEL KIT with rabbit anti-dog polyvalent reagent) detected autoantibodies against erythrocytes in serum from 53% and 57% of DAT+ dogs, respectively, while other IATs performed less well. Moreover, while the analytic specificity of the IAT methods compared to the DAT ranged from 96–100%, the sensitivity range was only 9–57%. Thus, we still recommend DAT for diagnosis and monitoring of IMHA in dogs but conclude that a positive IAT result may aid diagnostically when serum is available, but fresh red blood cells are not. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:34:02Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2306-7381 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:34:02Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-3a12b31921e94ecfa808edab8df59e132023-11-18T21:42:15ZengMDPI AGVeterinary Sciences2306-73812023-06-0110741510.3390/vetsci10070415The Indirect Antiglobulin (Coombs’) Test Is Specific but Less Sensitive Than the Direct Antiglobulin Test for Detecting Anti-Erythrocytic Autoantibodies and Thereby Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia in DogsNadine Idalan0Elisabeth Müller1Urs Giger2Clinic for Small Animal Internal Medicine, University of Zürich, 8057 Zürich, SwitzerlandLaboklin GmbH & Co KG, 97688 Bad Kissingen, GermanyClinic for Small Animal Internal Medicine, University of Zürich, 8057 Zürich, SwitzerlandThe immunodiagnostic assessment of dogs suspected of having immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) is based on persistent autoagglutination of erythrocytes (after three saline washes), marked spherocytosis, and a positive direct antiglobulin (Coombs’) test (DAT). However, the value of using the indirect antiglobulin test (IAT) for the detection of anti-erythrocytic autoantibodies in serum from dogs suspected of having IMHA is unclear. To evaluate the IAT, leftover serum samples from a large cohort of 94 dogs suspected of having IMHA and for which DAT results were known were incubated with DAT− erythrocytes, and five IAT techniques were performed (in part with different reagents and temperatures): microtiter plate (MICRO), microcapillary, laboratory gel column, gel minitube kit (GEL KIT), and immunochromatographic strip kit. Two IAT techniques (MICRO at 37 °C and GEL KIT with rabbit anti-dog polyvalent reagent) detected autoantibodies against erythrocytes in serum from 53% and 57% of DAT+ dogs, respectively, while other IATs performed less well. Moreover, while the analytic specificity of the IAT methods compared to the DAT ranged from 96–100%, the sensitivity range was only 9–57%. Thus, we still recommend DAT for diagnosis and monitoring of IMHA in dogs but conclude that a positive IAT result may aid diagnostically when serum is available, but fresh red blood cells are not.https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/10/7/415autoagglutinationimmunodiagnosticscaninehematologyred blood cells |
| spellingShingle | Nadine Idalan Elisabeth Müller Urs Giger The Indirect Antiglobulin (Coombs’) Test Is Specific but Less Sensitive Than the Direct Antiglobulin Test for Detecting Anti-Erythrocytic Autoantibodies and Thereby Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia in Dogs Veterinary Sciences autoagglutination immunodiagnostics canine hematology red blood cells |
| title | The Indirect Antiglobulin (Coombs’) Test Is Specific but Less Sensitive Than the Direct Antiglobulin Test for Detecting Anti-Erythrocytic Autoantibodies and Thereby Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia in Dogs |
| title_full | The Indirect Antiglobulin (Coombs’) Test Is Specific but Less Sensitive Than the Direct Antiglobulin Test for Detecting Anti-Erythrocytic Autoantibodies and Thereby Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia in Dogs |
| title_fullStr | The Indirect Antiglobulin (Coombs’) Test Is Specific but Less Sensitive Than the Direct Antiglobulin Test for Detecting Anti-Erythrocytic Autoantibodies and Thereby Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia in Dogs |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Indirect Antiglobulin (Coombs’) Test Is Specific but Less Sensitive Than the Direct Antiglobulin Test for Detecting Anti-Erythrocytic Autoantibodies and Thereby Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia in Dogs |
| title_short | The Indirect Antiglobulin (Coombs’) Test Is Specific but Less Sensitive Than the Direct Antiglobulin Test for Detecting Anti-Erythrocytic Autoantibodies and Thereby Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia in Dogs |
| title_sort | indirect antiglobulin coombs test is specific but less sensitive than the direct antiglobulin test for detecting anti erythrocytic autoantibodies and thereby immune mediated hemolytic anemia in dogs |
| topic | autoagglutination immunodiagnostics canine hematology red blood cells |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/10/7/415 |
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