Development of a polyclonal antibody-based AC-ELISA and its comparison with PCR for diagnosis of canine parvovirus infection

A polyclonal antibody-based antigen-capture ELISA (AC-ELISA) has been developed for detection of Canine parvovirus (CPV) antigens in faecal samples of dogs. The assay uses rabbit anti-CPV polyclonal antibody as the capture antibody, guinea pig anti-CPV polyclonal antibody as tracing antibody and anti-guinea pig HRPO conjugate as the detection system. The optimum dilution of the capture antibody and the tracing antibody capable of detecting the CPV-2 antigens was found to be 1:1 600 and 1:400, respectively, in the check-board titration. In this study, a total of 152 samples (129 faecal samples and 23 cell culture supernatant) were tested both by AC-ELISA and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Of the samples tested, 69 and 78 samples were found positive by AC-ELISA and PCR, respectively. The AC-ELISA had relative sensitivity, relative specificity and accuracy of 88.4%, 100.0% and 91.4% respectively. The analytical sensitivity of AC-ELISA was estimated to be 10^2.8 TCID₅₀/mL whereas PCR sensitivity was 10^0.8 TCID₅₀/mL. The AC-ELISA is a simple, quick and reliable method for screening large numbers of faecal samples of dogs suspected of CPV infection.     

土拉弗朗西斯菌两种不同长度的外膜蛋白FopA抗原和抗体的制备

目的:根据外膜蛋白 FopA 的序列信息,建立土拉弗朗西斯菌 FopA蛋白全长(FopA-L)和部分(FopA-S)的特异性抗原的 BL21 表达系统,获得高活性的重组 FopA-L、FopA-S蛋白并制备相应的多克隆抗体,为土拉菌的监测、诊断和治疗提供依据。方法:通过 pET100 质粒构建FopA-L及FopA-S的表达载体,转化大肠杆菌BL21细胞并诱导表达FopA-L及FopA-S蛋白,螯合镍离子次氨基三乙酸(Ni-NTA)亲合层析纯化FopA蛋白,用重组蛋白免疫大耳白兔制备多克隆抗体,通过 ELISA、Western 印迹、胶体金免疫层析技术等方法进行检测。结果:构建了FopA-L及FopA-S的表达载体,获得相应的高表达目的蛋白 BL21 细胞株,用表达的蛋白为抗原成功制备了 FopA特异性的抗体,效价皆在1 ∶100000以上且特异性良好。结论:FopA-S与FopA-L两种抗原和相应抗体的制备为建立土拉菌快速检测方法奠定了基础。     

Generation of avian-derived anti-B7-H4 antibodies exerts a blockade effect on the immunosuppressive response

For highly conserved mammalian protein, chicken is a suitable immune host to generate antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies have been successfully targeted with immunity checkpoint proteins as a means of cancer treatment; this treatment enhances tumor-specific immunity responses through immunoregulation. Studies have identified the importance of B7-H4 in immunoregulation and its use as a potential target for cancer treatment. High levels of B7-H4 expression are found in tumor tissues and are associated with adverse clinical and pathological characteristics. Using the phage display technique, this study isolated specific single-chain antibody fragments (scFvs) against B7-H4 from chickens. Our experiment proved that B7-H4 clearly induced the inhibition of T-cell activation. Therefore, use of anti-B7-H4 scFvs can effectively block the exhaustion of immunity cells and also stimulate and activate T-cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Sequence analysis revealed that two isolated scFv S2 and S4 have the same VH complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) sequence. Molecule docking was employed to simulate the complex structures of scFv with B7-H4 to analyze the interaction. Our findings revealed that both scFvs employed CDR-H1 and CDR-H3 as main driving forces and had strong binding effects with the B7-H4. The affinity of scFv S2 was better because the CDR-L2 loop of the scFv S2 had three more hydrogen bond interactions with B7-H4. The results of this experiment suggest the usefulness of B7-H4 as a target for immunity checkpoints; the isolated B7-H4-specific chicken antibodies have the potential for use in future cancer immunotherapy applications.     

糖皮质激素联合利妥昔单抗对特发性膜性肾病患者血脂、Th17/Treg失衡和血清PLA2R抗体、THSD7A抗体的影响

摘要 目的：探讨糖皮质激素联合利妥昔单抗对特发性膜性肾病（IMN）患者血脂、辅助性T细胞17（Th17）/调节性T细胞（Treg）失衡和血清抗磷脂酶A2受体（PLA2R）抗体、抗I型血小板反应蛋白7A域（THSD7A）抗体的影响。方法：收集空军军医大学唐都医院2022年3月~2023年3月期间收治的IMN患者112例。根据随机数字表法将入组患者分为对照组（56例,糖皮质激素治疗）与治疗组（56例,对照组的基础上接受利妥昔单抗治疗）。观察两组疗效、血脂[低密度脂蛋白胆固醇（LDL-C）、总胆固醇（TC）、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇（HDL-C）、甘油三酯（TG）]、肾功能[胱抑素C（CysC）、血肌酐（Scr）、血尿素氮（BUN）、24 h尿蛋白定量]、Th17/Treg相关指标[Th17细胞百分比、白细胞介素-17（IL-17）、Treg细胞百分比、转化生长因子β1（TGF-β1）、肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）]和血清PLA2R抗体、THSD7A抗体水平变化情况,并观察两组治疗安全性。结果：与对照组相比,治疗组的临床总有效率更高（P<0.05）。与对照组相比,治疗组治疗6个月后TC、TG、LDL-C、CysC、Scr、BUN、24 h尿蛋白定量、Th17、IL-17、TNF-α、PLA2R抗体、THSD7A抗体更低,HDL-C、Treg、TGF-β1更高（P<0.05）。两组不良反应发生率对比未见差异（P>0.05）。结论：糖皮质激素联合利妥昔单抗应用于IMN患者,可有效改善患者血脂、Th17/Treg失衡和血清PLA2R抗体、THSD7A抗体水平,且不增加不良反应发生率,具有较好的临床应用价值。     

Quantitation of a recombinant monoclonal antibody in monkey serum by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

A method including protein A purification, limited Lys-C digestion, and mass spectrometry analysis was used in the study to quantify a recombinant monoclonal antibody in cynomolgus monkey serum. The same antibody that was isotopically labeled was used as an internal standard. Interferences from serum proteins were first significantly reduced by protein A purification and then by limited Lys-C digestion of protein A bound IgG, including both monkey and the recombinant IgG. Fab fragment of the recombinant human IgG was analyzed directly by LC–MS, while monkey IgG and the Fc fragment of the recombinant human IgG remained bound to protein A resin. Quantitation was achieved by measuring the peak intensity of the Fab from the recombinant human IgG and comparing it to that of the Fab from the stable isotope-labeled internal standard. The results were in good agreement with the values from ELISA. LC–MS can therefore be used as a complementary approach to ELISA to quantify recombinant monoclonal antibodies in serum for pharmacokinetics studies and it can also be used where specific reagents such as antigens are not readily available for ELISA.     

Specific allowance for antibody bivalence in the determination of dissociation constants by kinetic exclusion assay

Theory that takes rigorous account of antibody bivalence in the characterization of immunospecific reactions by kinetic exclusion assay is presented. In addition to reinforcing the basic correctness of quantitative expressions currently being used for the determination of dissociation constants (K_d) by this method, the current study highlights a requirement for conformity of the system with critical assumptions/approximations therein. Published results for the interaction between the extracellular domain of human insulin-like growth factor (hIGFR) and anti-hIGFR are used to illustrate aspects of the theoretical predictions for a system to which those assumptions/approximations may well apply; and those for a cadmium–ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (Cd–EDTA) antibody interaction to emphasize the consequences of adopting the same analytical procedure in a situation where one of those assumptions does not apply. The major weakness of current protocols for the characterization of antigen–antibody interactions by kinetic exclusion assay is an absence of any check on the likely magnitude of the probability of antibody capture by the affinity beads—a parameter that needs to be 5% or lower for validity of the quantitative expression on which the analysis is based.     

Engineering of a broad-specificity antibody: detection of eight fluoroquinolone antibiotics simultaneously

Recombinant sarafloxacin-recognizing antibody was engineered with the use of novel fluoroquinolone (FQ) derivatives. A monoclonal FQ antibody, 6H7, was targeted to random mutagenesis to broaden the specificity of the antibody in development of a generic assay for FQ antibiotics. Engineering involved the synthesis of different small-sized FQ molecules to immobilize and detect the mutant antibodies. Selections with labeled FQs resulted in several mutant antibodies with increased affinity or wider specificity toward different FQs. The best characterized mutant antibody was capable of recognizing seven of eight targeted FQs below maximum residue limits set by the European Union. The results are promising in regard to the development of a multiresidue immunoassay for FQs based on a single antibody.     

Adenosine A2B receptor antagonist suppresses differentiation to regulatory T cells without suppressing activation of T cells

Extracellular adenosine activates P1 receptors (A₁, A_2A, A_2B, A₃) on cellular membranes. Here, we investigated the involvement of P1 receptor-mediated signaling in differentiation to regulatory T cells (Treg). Treg were induced in vitro by incubating isolated CD4⁺CD62L⁺ naïve murine T cells under Treg-skewing conditions. Antagonists of A₁ and A_2B receptors suppressed the expression of Foxp3, a specific marker of Treg, and the production of IL-10, suggesting the involvement of A₁ and A_2B receptors in differentiation to Treg. We also investigated the effect of these antagonists on T cell activation, which is essential for differentiation to Treg, and found that A₁ antagonist, but not A_2B antagonist, suppressed T cell activation. We conclude that A₁ and A_2B receptors are both involved in differentiation to Treg, but through different mechanisms. Since A_2B antagonist blocked differentiation to Treg without suppressing T cell activation, it is possible that blockade of A_2B receptor would facilitate tumor immunity.     

Actin and Arp2/3 localize at the centrosome of interphase cells

Although many actin binding proteins such as cortactin and the Arp2/3 activator WASH localize at the centrosome, the presence and conformation of actin at the centrosome has remained elusive. Here, we report the localization of actin at the centrosome in interphase but not in mitotic MDA-MB-231 cells. Centrosomal actin was detected with the anti-actin antibody 1C7 that recognizes antiparallel (“lower dimer”) actin dimers. In addition, we report the transient presence of the Arp2/3 complex at the pericentriolar matrix but not at the centrioles of interphase HEK 293T cells. Overexpression of an Arp2/3 component resulted in expansion of the pericentriolar matrix and selective accumulation of the Arp2/3 component in the pericentriolar matrix. Altogether, we hypothesize that the centrosome transiently recruits Arp2/3 to perform processes such as centrosome separation prior to mitotic entry, whereas the observed constitutive centrosomal actin staining in interphase cells reinforces the current model of actin-based centrosome reorientation toward the leading edge in migrating cells.