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9 sie 2022 · Highly sensitive antigen tests provide rapid cageside confirmation of HWI. Current antigen tests detect a protein found predominantly in the reproductive tract of female heartworms. Antigen is usually detectable by about 6 months post-infection. Testing dogs younger than 6 months is therefore not recommended.
It is not necessary to heat-treat every sample that tests negative, but if heartworm infection is suspected and the test result is negative, HPT can help ensure an appropriate diagnosis. Antigen testing of a heat-treated sample cannot distinguish between dead and living worms.
Regardless of whether HPT is used in post-treatment testing, dogs should be tested for both antigen and microfilariae 6 to 12 months after completion of adulticidal therapy to assess treatment efficacy.
Dirofilaria immitis infections are usually diagnosed based on history, physical examination, and laboratory findings. One of the key components in the diagnosis is the presence of heartworm antigen circulating in the blood of the infected patient.
20 lut 2018 · The use of heat-treatment in canine and feline serum has been hypothesized to break the formation of antigen-antibody complexes, thereby freeing the heartworm antigen allowing for detection by commercially available heartworm antigen kits.
6 sty 2024 · Low antigen levels caused by immune complex formation preclude HWD diagnosis. Heat treatment is an immune complex dissociation technique used to enhance antigen detection. Only a few studies have reported the benefits of heat treatment in nationwide surveys.
26 kwi 2021 · Heat treatment (HT) or chemical treatment to destroy complexes can increase Ag test sensitivity [4, 9, 22, 23]. However, HT protocols require extra laboratory equipment, time, and cost, reducing utility when large numbers of dogs are tested on a daily basis, such as in animal shelters in HW-endemic regions.
