Optimization of Helicobacter pylori culture in order to preparation of favorable antigens

Esmaeilli Davood¹, Mohabati Mobarez Ashraf¹*, Salmanian Ali Hatef² and Zavaran Hosseini Ahmad³

¹Tarbiat Modares University, Faculty of Medical Science, Department of Bacteriology Tehran, Iran.

²National Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Iran.

³Tarbiat Modares University, Faculty of Medical Science, Department of Immunology Tehran, Iran.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: mmmobarez@modares.ac.ir. Tel.: 098-21-82883862. Fax: 098-21-82884555.

Accepted 11 November, 2009

  Abstract

This study was conducted on 95 horses in Tabriz area in Iran in order to seroprevalence of leptospiral infection. Sera were initially screened at dilution of 1:100 against 6 live serovars of Leptospira interrogans: Pomona, Canicola, Hardjo, Ballom, Icterohaemorrhagiae and Grippotyphosa using the microscopic agglutination test. The prevalence of leptospiral infection was 41.05% in horses. 42.68% of male horses and 30.77% of female horses were positive. There was significant difference between males and females (P < 0.05). There was no significant relationship between aging and the incidence of leptospiral infection and between breed of the horses. The highest number of reactors in horses (46.15%) was due to serovar Pomona, followed in descending order by Grippothyphosa (41.03%), Icterohaemorrhagiae (17.95%), Canicola (12.82%) and Hardjo (2.56%). The majority of titre levels were between 100 and 200 for all the serovars. These results confirm that the majority of leptospiral infections is asymptomatic and the presence of antibodies in the absence of infection indicates exposure to the organism in these animals.

Key words: Horse, seroprevalence, Leptospira, Iran.