DAO 21:123-130 (1995)  -  doi:10.3354/dao021123

ABSTRACT: Plasmacytoid leukemia (PL) is a lymphoproliferative disorder that affects netpen-reared chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in British Columbia, Canada. The only diagnostic test for PL is histologic evaluation of suspect fish. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) previously reported to react with tissues of PL-affected fish were used in a quantitative indirect fluorescence antibody (IFA) test. These MAbs reacted with a 75 kDa antigen that is highly expressed in tissues of fish with PL. Using experimentally infected fish, the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of the IFA test were compared to those of the standard histologic test. The IFA test was determined to have a sensitivity of 72%, which was significantly higher than that of histologic examination, and could detect experimental infection at 3 wk post-injection, earlier than histologic examination. The sensitivity and practicality of the IFA test will enable it to be a useful screening test for the detection of PL.

KEY WORDS: Plasmacytoid leukemia . Chinook salmon . Oncorhynchus tshawytscha . Indirect fluorescence antibody test