THE USE OF IMMUNOPEROXIDASE IN THE DETECTION OF THE ANTIGEN OF BOVINE VIRAL DIARRHEA VIRUS IN THE BRAIN OF CATTLE

By utilization of direct and indirect immunoperoxidase methods monoclonal (produced in mouse) and polyclonal (produced in pig) were used to detect BVD viral antigen in the brain of cattle, with different cinical and pathlogical manifestations of Bovine Viral Diarrhoea-Mucosal Disease. The brain specimens were fixed in formalin and then embedded in paraffin. BVD virus antigen was detectable as a cytoplasmatic, brown-coloured and granular immunoenzymatic reaction product. The specific staining was located predominantly in the perikarya and processes of neurons of the brain. Predilection sites for viral antigen were the neurons of the cerebral cortex, of the hippocampus and, less so, of the cerebellum. Finally, the comparing these two methods the results indicate that the indirect method, by utilization of monoclonal antibodies, presents more advantages than the direct method using polyclonal antibodies.