Anthrax Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Anthrax, including details on bacillus anthracis, contagiousness, exposure, effects.

Rapid, sensitive, and specific lateral-flow immunochromatographic device to measure anti-anthrax protective antigen immunoglobulin g in serum and whole blood.

Biagini RE, Sammons DL, Smith JP, MacKenzie BA, Striley CA, Snawder JE, Robertson SA, Quinn CP

Division of Applied Research and Technology, Biomonitoring and Health Assessment Branch, Biological Monitoring Research Team, CDC/NIOSH MS C-26, Robert A. Taft Laboratories, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA. rbiagini@cdc.gov

Evidence from animals suggests that anti-anthrax protective antigen (PA) immunoglobulin G (IgG) from vaccination with anthrax vaccine adsorbed (AVA) is protective against Bacillus anthracis infection. Measurement of anti-PA IgG in human sera can be performed using either enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or fluorescent covalent microsphere immunoassay (ELISA) (R. E. Biagini, D. L. Sammons, J. P. Smith, B. A. MacKenzie, C. A. Striley, V. Semenova, E. Steward-Clark, K. Stamey, A. E. Freeman, C. P. Quinn, and J. E. Snawder, Clin. Diagn. Lab. Immunol. 11:50-55, 2004). Both these methods are laboratory based. We describe the development of a rapid lateral-flow immunochromatographic assay (LFIA) test kit for the measurement of anti-PA IgG in serum or whole-blood samples (30-microl samples) using colloidal gold nanoparticles as the detection reagent and an internal control. Using sera from 19 anthrax AVA vaccinees (anti-PA IgG range, 2.4 to 340 microg/ml) and 10 controls and PA-supplemented whole-blood samples, we demonstrated that the LFIA had a sensitivity of approximately 3 microg/ml anti-PA IgG in serum and approximately 14 microg/ml anti-PA IgG in whole blood. Preabsorption of sera with PA yielded negative anti-PA LFIAs. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the assay were 100% using ELISA-measured anti-PA IgG as the standard. This kit has utility in determining anti-PA antibody reactivity in the sera of individuals vaccinated with AVA or individuals with clinical anthrax.

Published 9 May 2006 in Clin Vaccine Immunol, 13(5): 541-6.
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