Development and application of an ELISA for the detection of porcine deltacoronavirus IgG antibodies

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV), also known as porcine coronavirus HKU15, was first detected in North America in early 2014 and associated with enteric disease in pigs, resulting in an urgent need to further investigate the ecology of this virus. While assays detecting nucleic acids were implemented quickly, assays to detect anti-PDCoV antibodies have not been available. In this study, an indirect anti-PDCoV IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on the putative S1 portion of the spike protein was developed and utilized to determine the prevalence of anti-PDCoV IgG in U.S. pigs. The diagnostic sensitivity of the PDCoV ELISA was 91% with a diagnostic specificity of 95%. A total of 968 serum samples were tested including samples with confirmed infection with PDCoV, porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), transmissible gastroenteritis virus or porcine respiratory coronavirus. There was no cross-reactivity with any of the other coronaviruses. Among 355 arbitrarily selected serum samples collected in 2014 and originating from 51 farms across 18 U.S. states, anti-PDCoV IgG antibodies were detected in 8.7% of the samples and in 25.5% of the farms whereas anti-PEDV IgG was detected in 22.8% of the samples and in 54.9% of the farms. In addition, anti-PDCoV IgG antibodies were detected in archived samples collected in 2010, perhaps indicating an earlier undetected introduction into the U.S. pig population. Overall, the obtained data suggest that PDCoV seroprevalence in U.S. pigs is lower compared to PEDV and PDCoV may have been introduced to the U.S. prior to PEDV

Back to the future: oral targeted therapy for RA and other autoimmune diseases

The molecular biology revolution coupled with the development of monoclonal antibody technology enabled remarkable progress in rheumatology therapy, comprising an array of highly effective biologic agents. With advances in understanding of the molecular nature of immune cell receptors came elucidation of intracellular signalling pathways downstream of these receptors. These discoveries raise the question of whether selective targeting of key intracellular factors with small molecules would add to the rheumatologic armamentarium. In this Review, we discuss several examples of this therapeutic strategy that seem to be successful, and consider their implications for the future of immune-targeted treatments. We focus on kinase inhibitors, primarily those targeting Janus kinase family members and spleen tyrosine kinase, given their advanced status in clinical development and application. We also summarize other targets involved in signalling pathways that might offer promise for therapeutic intervention in the future