Assay for hepatitis a virus-specific antibodies

摘要

A new, ultrasensitive, capture EIA based assay - ml-HAV EIA suitable for the detection of vaccine or disease-induced Hepatitis A virus-specific antibodies of IgG class in saliva. The method provides 99 % sensitivity and specificity in comparison with serum based assays, and comprises a method of assaying specific immunoglobulin of any or all classes present in a human or animal bodily fluid selected from saliva, tears, semen, urine and cerebro spinal fluid by the steps of: (i) immobilising an antibody to one or more classes of immunoglobulin onto a solid substrate; (ii) exposing the immobilised antibody to a sample of said bodily fluid so as to achieve binding of a proportion of any immunoglobulin present in the fluid to said immobilised antibody; (iii) exposing said bound immunoglobulin to a selected antigen so as to achieve binding of said antigen to at least a proportion of said bound immunoglobulin; (iv) binding an antibody having specificity for said selected antigen to at least a proportion of said bound antigen; and (v) detecting and/or measuring said bound antibody having selected antigen specificity with a detecting antibody.