Immunoassay of serum ferritin is currently used to evaluate the clinical iron status of human beings, horses, cattle, and swine. Because ferritins are immunologically species specific, a separate assay must be developed for each species. We have developed an ELISA for serum ferritin in dogs, using a monoclonal anti-canine ferritin antibody. Ferritin standards were linear (r = 0.997) from 0 to 80 ng/ml. Recovery of ferritin from canine serum was 94%. Dilutions of pooled canine serum were linear from 0 to 50% (r = 0.994). Within-assay coefficient of variability was 5.5%, whereas assay-to-assay coefficient of variability ranged from 12.5 to 21%. This assay should provide a nonsurgical means of accurately estimating dogs' iron stores.

The present study was done to demonstrate ADV antigens in frozen and paraffin sections from ADV-infected pigs and cell cultures by using of the IGS method. Tissue specimens from 3 young pigs infected with ADV-phylaxia strain and of 2 healthy pigs were used. Fibroblastic cells originated from pig brain and BHK cells were grown and confluent monolayers were infected with the virus. Two monoclonal antibodies and a specific hyperimmune serum to ADV were used as the source of primary antibodies for both the IGS and immunoperoxidase methods. Application of the IGS method yielded a black fine granular reaction in positive areas, and the results were superior to those obtained using the immuno-peroxidase technique for all cases tested. The IGS method might be useful in the detection of various viral antigens in tissue sections