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Field study on the utility of fluid obtained from testicles as a sample for detecting antibodies to selected swine pathogens
Abstract Processing fluid is a promising alternative to blood for monitoring porcine diseases, although certain aspects of its routine use remain unclear. This study evaluated serum from females and males, along with corresponding testicular only processing fluid, for antibodies against Actionbacillus pleuropneumonie, hepatitis E virus, porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, influenza A virus, Erysipetothrix rhusiopathie and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, using commercial ELISAs (ID Screen APP, Hepatitis E, PEDV, Influenza A from ID Vet, France; Civtest suis SE/MR from Hipra, Spain; and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae from Idexx, USA). Differences in the proportion of positive results across sample types were analysed to assess the utility of testis-derived processing fluid for litter-level health monitoring. ROC analysis was used to establish optimal cut-offs for processing fluid, followed by evaluation of diagnostic performance using both manufacturer-recommended and ROC-derived thresholds. A pooling simulation was also performed. Results indicate that processing fluid collected exclusively from testes can detect antibodies against selected pathogens effectively. Some ELISA kits validated for serum may be applicable to processing fluid, provided that appropriate cut-off values are determined for this sample type. However, pooling processing fluid samples may reduce sensitivity and increase the risk of false-negative results. These findings highlight the potential of testis-derived processing fluid for large-scale serological surveillance while underscoring the need for test-specific validation.
Concentrations of selected immunological parameters in the serum and processing fluid of suckling piglets and the serum and colostrum of their mothers
Abstract Background Blood sampling from neonatal piglets is related to multiple disadvantages. Therefore, a new, alternative matrix is required to assess piglets’ early immune status efficiently. The present study aimed to assess the usefulness of processing fluid for determining selected piglets’ immune parameters. 264 pigs − 31 sows, 146 male piglets, and 87 female piglets from commercial indoor farrow-to-finish pig herd were included in this study. 264 serum, 31 colostrum, and 146 processing fluid samples were collected. Serum was collected from all animals, colostrum was collected from sows, and processing fluid was collected from male piglets only. Using commercial ELISA tests, the concentration of various immunoglobulins, cytokines, and acute phase proteins was assessed in each matrix. Statistical analyses were employed to determine differences in the concentration of measured indices between piglets’ serum and processing fluid and correlations in the concentration of tested indices between particular sets of matrices. Results Statistical analyses did not reveal significant differences in the IgG, IgA, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, and IFN-γ concentration between piglets’ serum and processing fluid (p > 0.05). A positive correlation (p < 0.05) regarding the concentration of some indices between processing fluid and samples collected from sows was also observed. Conclusions Processing fluid can be considered a promising alternative to blood for assessing some immunological indices in piglets, such as IgG, IgA, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, and IFN-γ, and, possibly, in the indirect assessment of some indices in lactating sows, including IgA, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IFN-γ, or Pig-MAP.