In Situ Hybridization for Lawsonia Intracellularis-specific 16s rRNA Sequence in Paraffin-embedded Tissue Using a Digoxigenin-labeled Oligonucleotide Probe

Correspondence: 1 Corresponding Author: Herbert Weissenböck, Institute of Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathobiology, Veterinärplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria An in situ hybridization (ISH) procedure with a digoxigenin-labeled oligonucleotide probe for detection of Lawsonia intracellularis in paraffin-embedded tissue is described. This technique recognized 71% of PCR-positive cases and was thus superior to Warthin-Starry silver stain, which only detected 41%. The presented ISH is of comparable sensitivity to previously published immunohistochemical assays and is recommended for laboratories wishing to diagnose L. intracellularis infections in tissue sections but without access to antibodies. Key Words: In situ hybridization • Lawsonia intracellularis • oligonucleotide probe • porcine proliferative enteropathy