Peptides, artificial antigens and immunoassay kits

摘要

An artificial peptide having an amino acid sequence which corresponds to a naturally occurring amino acid sequence of a HIV comprising an epitope and which further has two cysteine residues located on each side of said epitope, and further having a sulphur bridge between said two cysteine residues, which has been formed by a chemical oxidation step, is described.PPFurthermore, an artificial antigen which reacts with antibodies induced by a HIV is described. Said antigen mainly consists of an artificial peptide according to the invention. P PAdditionally, a method of detecting antibodies induced by a HIV in a sample of body fluid, wherein said sample is subjected to an immunoassay, especially ELISA, and wherein an artificial antigen according to the invention is used as a diagnostic antigen, is described. A diagnostic immunoassay kit for said method is also described.P P Finally, a vaccine composition comprising, as an immunizing component, at least one antigen according to the invention, is described.