Microtiter Solid-Phase Radioimmunoassay for Hepatitis B Antigen

A micro-solid-phase radioimmunoassay (micro-SPRIA) for hepatitis B antigen (HB Ag) was developed for use with microtiter serological equipment. Radiolabeled immunoglobulin G was prepared from human and animal sera containing hepatitis B antibody (HB Ab); it was not necessary to isolate specific HB Ab by immunochemical means. A micro-SPRIA prepared with guinea pig reagents was approximately as sensitive as the AusRIA radioimmunoassay, but, like the AusRIA test, yielded false positive results. A micro-SPRIA prepared with human reagents was slightly less sensitive but did not yield false positive results. These micro-SPRIA tests offer several advantages, including conservation of reagents, adaptability to other antigen-antibody systems, ease of performance (especially when testing large numbers of specimens), and economy.     

Specificity and Sensitivity of Radioimmunoassay for Hepatitis B Antigen

Sera from a survey of 6,026 people were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen by using radioimmunoassay and counterelectrophoresis. Forty-eight sera (0.79%) were positive by counterelectrophoresis and 152 sera (2.52%) were positive by radioimmunoassay, using the most liberal of the recommended criteria for positivity (i.e., counts 3 standard deviations above the mean). Absorption tests performed on the 152 radioimmunoassay-positive sera showed that 10 (6.6%) were false-positive reactions to guinea pig protein, 74 (48.6%) were due to false-positive reaction(s) with other protein(s) in the test system, and 68 (44.8%) were true positives. There was a strong correlation between the degree of elevation of radioactive counts and the proportions of sera that were true positives; all 49 sera with counts >50 standard deviation units above the mean were true positives, but only 19 (18.4%) of the 103 sera with counts <50 standard deviation units were true positives. A few sera with high counts required absorption with type-specific (type D) antisera. The following conclusions were reached from this study: (i) absorption tests should be run on all radioimmunoassay-positive, counterelectrophoresis-negative sera; (ii) most (about 90%) false positives are not due to anti-guinea-pig protein reactions; and (iii) radioimmunoassay, in combination with absorption tests, yields a modest increase (about 35%) in detection of true positives over use of counterelectrophoresis alone.     

Effect of Temperature of the Sensitization Process on the Passive Hemagglutination Test for Hepatitis B Antibody

The temperature at which the coupling of antigen to erythrocytes takes place is an important factor in the passive hemagglutination test for hepatitis B antibody. Erythrocytes sensitized at 16 C are much less sensitive for the detection of antibody than are those sensitized at 22 to 41 C.     

Passive Hemagglutination Assays for the Detection of Antibodies to Herpes Viruses

A simple and effective method for the detection of antibodies to herpes simplex virus (HSV), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV), has been established using the passive hemagglutination assay (PHA) in combination with viral specific glycoproteins. The results obtained with the PHA were compared with those from neutralization (NT) and complement fixation (CF) tests. The PHA test for each of the herpes viruses appears to compare favorably with the other assays tested. The specificity and sensitivity of HSV PHA to NT were 100%, whereas the specificity and sensitivity of HSV CF test to NT were 98% and 100%, respectively. For HCMV, the specificity and sensitivity of PHA to NT and PHA to CF were 100%. Similarly, the specificity and sensitivity of VZV PHA to NT were 100%. Because of the low sensitivity of the VZV CF, the sensitivity of CF to NT was 83%. Furthermore, the range of antibody titers and their absolute levels obtained in the PHAs were significantly greater than those in the NT and CF tests.     

Relative Sensitivity of Gel Diffusion, Complement Fixation, and Immunoelectroosmophoresis Tests for Detection of Hepatitis-Associated Antigen and Antibody

The immunoelectroosmophoresis (IEOP) test was compared with gel diffusion and complement fixation (CF) tests for sensitivity in detecting hepatitis-associated antigen (HAA) in the sera of hepatitis patients, for titration of HAA, and for detection of antibody to HAA. The IEOP test was found to be slightly more sensitive than either gel diffusion or CF tests for detection of antigen in the patients' sera. Titers of HAA demonstrated by IEOP were higher than those seen in gel diffusion tests but lower than CF titers. The gel diffusion test with an "enhancement" pattern was found to be more reliable than the other two procedures for detection of low levels of anti-HAA, due to the greater inhibitory effect of an antigen excess in the IEOP system and the possible masking of low levels of antibody by anticomplementary activity in the CF test system. Staining of immunoprecipitates in the IEOP test contributed little to the sensitivity of the test for detection of HAA.     

Comparative Inhibitory Effects of Antigen and Antibody in the Staphylococcal Enterotoxin Solid-Phase Radioimmunoassay System

A solid-phase radioimmunoassay employing 125I-labeled enterotoxins and polystyrene tubes coated with specific antibody has been developed for assaying the relative concentrations of antibodies to staphylococcal enterotoxins A and B. Competitive binding occurs between tube-bound antibody and free antibody for binding sites on 125I-labeled enterotoxin. The sensitivity of the system is affected by the amount of antibody on the walls of the tubes, the concentration of 125I-labeled enterotoxin added to the system, and probably by the relative binding affinities of the bound and unbound antibodies. Antibody, 0.01 to 0.07 mug/ml, inhibited the uptake of 125I-labeled enterotoxin by 20%. Both the antibody and antigen solid-phase radioimmunoassay inhibition systems can be appropriately represented by either of the following two models: Loge (Y/1 - Y) = alpha0 + alpha1 LogeX and LogeY = beta0 + beta1 LogeX, where Y is bound activity, X is antigen or antibody concentration for inhibition, and alpha0, alpha1, beta0, and beta1 are regression coefficients. Estimates from the first model were slightly more precise for the antibody system, whereas the reverse was true for the antigen system.     

Staphylococcal Enterotoxins A and B: Solid-Phase Radioimmunoassay in Food

An immunoassay employing (125)I labeled enterotoxins A and B and polystyrene tubes coated with specific antibodies was used for detection and quantitation of enterotoxin in food. Ham salad, cheddar cheese, custard, condensed milk, and salami were studied. Enterotoxin was successfully determined in all the foods by simple extraction procedures. The assay was sensitive to 1 to 10 ng of toxin per g of food; nonspecific inhibitions were 15% or less.     

乙型肝炎病毒前S1抗原检测及其临床意义

目的:探讨乙型肝炎病毒前S1抗原与血清标志物之间的关系,了解其临床意义。方法:采用酶联免疫吸附实验检测乙型肝炎病毒血清标志物及前S1抗原,并采用速率法检测血清丙氨酸氨基转移酶。结果:乙肝表面抗原阳性率为9．2%,乙肝表面抗原阳性人群中前S1抗原阳性率为28．6%;乙肝e抗原阳性及阴性人群中前S1抗原阳性率分别为81．1%、13．9%(p＜0．01);前S1抗原阳性人群ALT(49．5U/L)高于前S1抗原阴性人群(43．2U/L,p＜0．01)。结论:前S1抗原与血清标志物e抗原有较高的一致性,是反映病毒复制的良好指标,能较早发现肝损伤。     

甲型肝炎、乙型肝炎病毒混合抗原的细胞免疫学研究

评价甲型肝炎病毒和乙型肝炎病毒混合抗原对细胞免疫反应的影响。采用小鼠迟发型超敏反应(DTH)、脾脏淋巴细胞增殖实验和淋巴细胞亚型分群实验 ,对甲肝抗原 (HAAg)、乙肝表面抗原 (HBsAg)和甲乙肝混合抗原 (HAAg +HBsAg)进行检测 ,并进行统计学分析。混合抗原没有降低相应单价抗原的各项细胞免疫反应强度 ,且较单一 ,HBsAg表现出了显著的抗原特异性T淋巴细胞和Th2细胞增殖作用 (P <0 .0 5 )。混合抗原表现出良好的细胞免疫反应原性 ,同时可能辅助B细胞 ,增强体液免疫应答能力。     

Rare Detection of Occult Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Children of Mothers with Positive Hepatitis B Surface Antigen

The prevalence of occult Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in children was considerably varied from 0.1–64% in different reports. In this study we aimed to investigate the prevalence of occult HBV infection among the children born to mothers with positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in Jiangsu, China. Serum samples were collected from 210 children of 207 mothers with positive HBsAg. HBV serological markers were detected by ELISA and HBV DNA was detected by nested PCR. Homology comparison of HBV sequences recovered from the child and mother was used to define the infection. Three children (1.43%) were positive for HBsAg, in whom the HBV pre S and S gene sequence in each child was identical to that in her mother. Of the 207 HBsAg-negative children, nine displayed HBV DNA positive by two nested PCR assays using primers derived from S and C genes. However, the sequence alignment showed that the sequences in each child were considerably different from those in his/her mother. Therefore, the sequences amplified from the children were very likely resultant from the cross-contaminations. Furthermore, the nine children with ‘positive HBV DNA’ were all negative for anti-HBc, and one had anti-HBs 3.42 mIU/ml and eight others had anti-HBs from 72 to >1000 mIU/ml, indicating that the nine children were less likely infected with HBV. Therefore, none of the 207 HBsAg-negative children of HBV-infected mothers was found to have occult HBV infection. We conclude that the prevalence of occult HBV infection in vaccinated children born to HBsAg positive mothers should be extremely low. We recommend that homology comparison of sequences recovered from the child and mother be used to define the occult HBV infection in children born to HBV infected mothers.     

抗原检测在戊型肝炎临床诊断中的应用

戊型肝炎(Hepatitis E,HE)是由戊型肝炎病毒(Hepatitis E virus,HEV)引起的病毒性肝炎,已经成为全球范围内的公共卫生问题,在临床人群中进行HE的诊断对于疾病传播的预防与控制具有重要的公共卫生意义,对于疾病的治疗具有重要的指导意义。本文对HEV抗原新指标的建立和发展进行综述,同时将其与现有指标进行比较,对其应用前景和优化方向提出展望。     

Avian Oncornavirus Group-Specific Antigen: Detection and Quantification by Radioimmunoassay

A double-antibody competitive-inhibition radioimmunoassay for avian group-specific antigen is described. A viral protein preparation, consisting primarily of gs-1, was labeled with radioiodine. Hamster and rabbit antisera were reacted with the labeled antigen, and the resultant antibody-antigen complexes were precipitated with the appropriate antiglobulin. Standard curves based on the inhibition of binding of labeled antigen to antibody after preincubation with unlabeled antigen were prepared. These showed the lower limit of sensitivity to be 2 to 10 ng of unlabeled protein when labeled antigen of 2,000 to 5,000 counts per min per ng of specific activity was used in the assay. Extracts of avian oncornavirus-infected cells, likewise, were able to inhibit binding of labeled antigen. This technique will be very useful for the quantification of small amounts of oncornavirus group-specific protein.     

Improved Reversed Passive Hemagglutination for Simple and Rapid Detection of Staphylococcal Enterotoxins A~E in Food

Detection and identification of staphylococcal enterotoxins in food or culture filtrates were performed using the reversed passive hemagglutination (RPHA) technique, with formalized sheep red blood cells (FSRBC) sensitized with immunoglobulins of anti-A, B, C, D, and E rabbit hyperimmune sera fractionated by affinity chromatography. The FSRBC sensitized with anti-A~E immunoglobulins showed a high level of reactivity and specificity in RPHA, against homologous types of purified enterotoxins and culture filtrates of toxin-producing strains. No non-specific reactions with various ingredients in foods nor cross-reactions among enterotoxin types were observed. The minimum amount of enterotoxins in foods detected by RPHA was calculated to be 0.01 μg/g without concentration, and the recovery rate of experimentally added toxins was calculated to be about 80%. Under routine laboratory practice, detection and identification of enterotoxins from incriminated foods of five food poisoning outbreaks were performed by RPHA within 3 hr after reception of the specimens. Among them, three were determined to be enterotoxin A food poisoning, one to be toxin C and the rest to be intoxication of A and D. The concentration of the toxins was between 0.014 and 3.65 μg per gram of food.     

Radioimmunoassay for Avian C-Type Virus Group-Specific Antigen: Detection in Normal and Virus-Transformed Cells

A radioimmunoassay has been developed for detection of avian C-type virus (30,000 mol wt) group-specific (gs) antigen. The method is 10- to 1,000-fold more sensitive than immunological methods previously available. By the radioimmunoassay technique, normal chicken embryo cells, which have previously been classified as gs negative or weakly gs positive, contain clearly detectable amounts of gs antigen. The assay has been used to study the effect of chemical induction and superinfection by mammalian C-type viruses on the expression of avian gs antigen in mammalian cells nonproductively transformed by avian sarcoma viruses.     

Solid-Phase Radioimmunoassay of Total and Influenza-Specific Immunoglobulin G

An antigen-antibody system of polystyrene tubes coated with immunoglobulin antibody was used for quantitating immunoglobulins. A similar radioimmunoassay method was adapted for a viral antigen-antibody system. The viral system can be used for quantitating viruses and for measuring virus-specific antibodies by reacting with (125)iodine-labeled anti-immunoglobulin G (IgG). Optimal conditions for coating the solid phase, specificity of the immune reaction, and other kinetics and sensitivities of the assay method were investigated. Comparison of direct and indirect methods of assaying for immunoglobulins or viral antibody indicates that the indirect method is more sensitive and can quantitate a minimum of 0.037 mug of IgG per ml. Results of solid-phase radioimmunoassay for influenza antibody correlate well with hemagglutinin antibody titers but not with complement-fixing antibody titers. Radioimmunoassay results for influenza antibody by solid phase are likewise in agreement with results by the carrier precipitate radioimmunoassay method. The simplicity, reproducibility, and versatility of the solid-phase procedure make it diagnostically useful.     

肝硬化患者乙肝表面抗原的定量检测及意义

目的：探讨HBsAg定量测定在乙肝相关性肝硬化病程中的变化和意义。方法：选择乙肝相关性肝硬化患者60例纳入实验对象,根据2000年9月（西安）第10次全国病毒性肝炎学术会议修订的《病毒性肝炎防治方案》中的诊断标准分为代偿期组和失代偿期组,其中代偿期组35例,失代偿期组25例。另选取20例乙型肝炎病毒携带者作为对照组。应用电化学发光免疫分析法测定患者血清中HBsAg和HBeAg滴度,免疫荧光定量PCR法检测HBVDNA载量。结果：对照组、肝硬化代偿期组和肝硬化失代偿期组HBsAg滴度分别为：2574.73±3252.27COI、5494.35±2129.84COI和6921.25±1957.60COI,三组之间差别均有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。肝硬化代偿期组中,HBsAg滴度与HBVDNA、HBeAg水平呈负相关性（P〈0.05（）r=-0.350;r=-0.514）。肝硬化失代偿期组中,HBsAg滴度与HBVDNA及HBeAg水平均无明显相关性（r=-0.020;r=0.154）。结论：肝硬化失代偿期HBsAg滴度明显高于肝硬化代偿期,代偿期HBsAg滴度高于HBV携带者组,即HBsAg滴度随肝脏疾病进展呈阶梯型递增。肝硬化代偿期,HBsAg滴度与HBVDNA、HBeAg水平呈负相关性,HBsAg水平可以作为评估病毒复制的参考指标。肝硬化失代偿期,HBsAg滴度与HBVDNA和HBeAg无相关性,不能反映病毒复制水平,不能作为评估病毒复制的参考指标。     

肝硬化患者乙肝表面抗原的定量检测及意义

目的:探讨HBsAg定量测定在乙肝相关性肝硬化病程中的变化和意义。方法:选择乙肝相关性肝硬化患者60例纳入实验对象,根据2000年9月(西安)第10次全国病毒性肝炎学术会议修订的《病毒性肝炎防治方案》中的诊断标准分为代偿期组和失代偿期组,其中代偿期组35例,失代偿期组25例。另选取20例乙型肝炎病毒携带者作为对照组。应用电化学发光免疫分析法测定患者血清中HBsAg和HBeAg滴度,免疫荧光定量PCR法检测HBVDNA载量。结果:对照组、肝硬化代偿期组和肝硬化失代偿期组HBsAg滴度分别为:2574.73±3252.27COI、5494.35±2129.84COI和6921.25±1957.60COI,三组之间差别均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。肝硬化代偿期组中,HBsAg滴度与HBVDNA、HBeAg水平呈负相关性(P<0.05()r=-0.350;r=-0.514)。肝硬化失代偿期组中,HBsAg滴度与HBVDNA及HBeAg水平均无明显相关性(r=-0.020;r=0.154)。结论:肝硬化失代偿期HBsAg滴度明显高于肝硬化代偿期,代偿期HBsAg滴度高于HBV携带者组,即HBsAg滴度随肝脏疾病进展呈阶梯型递增。肝硬化代偿期,HBsAg滴度与HBVDNA、HBeAg水平呈负相关性,HBsAg水平可以作为评估病毒复制的参考指标。肝硬化失代偿期,HBsAg滴度与HBVDNA和HBeAg无相关性,不能反映病毒复制水平,不能作为评估病毒复制的参考指标。     

Detection of Hepatitis B Antigen by Counter-Immunoelectrophoresis: Enhancing Role of Homologous Serum Diluents

Dilution of hyperimmune hepatitis type B antibody in undiluted homologous species normal serum has resulted in enhanced sensitivity for detecting hepatitis B antigen by a discontinuous counter-immunoelectrophoresis method compared to hepatitis type B antibody diluted in heterologous species normal serum or buffer solutions.     

An Evaluation of Orcein Methods for Demonstrating Hepatitis B Surface Antigen and Copper-Associated Protein in Human Liver

Difficulties were encountered with the orcein method currently being used to demonstrate hepatitis B surface antigen and copper-associated protein in the liver when a new batch of dye was introduced. A survey of published material produced a plethora of methods with many contradictory recommendations. A number of methods and a variety of orceins were compared to determine which methods and orcein solutions would give the most consistent results. Two methods gave equally satisfactory results and can be recommended for routine use in screening paraffin sections of liver for hepatitis B surface antigen and copper-associated protein.