Indirect immunofluorescent antibody (IFA), latex agglutination (IA), and enzyme immunoassay (EIA) methods were compared for evaluation of the serum antibody responses of dogs experimentally and naturally exposed to spotted fever-group rickettsiae. Selected sera (obtained on days 1, 42, 53, 124, 145, 236, 255, 264, and 292) were examined from three 8-month-old female Beagles inoculated with Rickettsia rickettsii on days 34 and 250 of the study. A second group of dogs comprised three 8-month-old female Beagles inoculated with R montana on days 34 and 102. Subsequently, these dogs were inoculated with R rickettsii on day 250. Serum samples were obtained from the second group of dogs on days 1, 96, 103, 132, 180, 215, 292, and 494. A third group consisted of 21 naturally exposed dogs, from which sequentially obtained serum samples were available, and which had clinical signs compatible with Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Clinical signs of disease in dogs of the third group resolved after treatment with tetracycline (22 mg/kg of body weight, Po, q 8 h) was instituted. At least 2 sequentially obtained serum samples from each dog were tested. In general, the first sample was obtained just prior to treatment and the convalescent serum samples were obtained at weekly or greater intervals thereafter. For correlation and reactivity data, an IFA test for IgG/IgM (using heavy and light chains-specific conjugate) was used as the reference standard for comparison of results with those of the other tests,.

This experiment was carried out to determine the progesterone concentration of bovine plasma by liquid phase double antibody enzyme immunoassay. The optimum conditions of assay-system, enzyme conjugate and gelatin were investigated. The sensitivity, recovery rate and reproducibility by this assay were also analyzed. The suitable supplementation level of gelatin was 0.2 %. As the gelatin level increased to 1 %, coefficient variation of interassay was shown to be irregular. The optimum dilution rate of enzyme conjugate was 30 times. Enzyme activity was greatly fluctuated depending on the minor condition of enzyme conjugate technique. Therefore, it was considered to be checked when determined. The sensitivity of the assay was 12 pg/tube. Recovery rate was decreased when the amount of sample was too little or too much, but the recovery rate was high as 97.8 % when the amount of sample was between 50 and 200 micro l. Mean intra-assay and inter-assay coefficient of variation was 4.5 % and 5.9 %, respectively. By using liquid phase double antibody enzyme immunoassay, progesterone in plasma can be detected, and also this assay system is applicable to study the physiological function of progesterone and diagnosis of reproductive disorders