Method for detecting the presence of target bacteria or a target component carbohydrate antigen thereof

摘要

Antigen-specific antibodies of enhanced sensitivity and specificity to target bacterial antigens selected from among lipo-polycarbohydrate antigens, antigens comprising lipoteichoic acid or teichoic acid or a derivative of either and capsular carbohydrate antigens may be obtained by (1) extraction from a culture of known gram-negative or gram-positive bacteria of the said target antigen containing not more than 10 % protein by weight, (2) coupling the conjugate to an affinity column, passing raw polyclonal antibodies to the target antigen or an IgG cut thereof over the affinity column and eluting from the column purified antibodies specific to the target antigen. A rapid immunochromatographic test is described in which the thus purified antibodies are used to detect in a mammalian bodily fluid the target antigen or the bacterium from which it was extracted. Use of the said purified antibodies in any known test for the purpose of detecting the presence or absence of target antigen (or target bacterium) is further contemplated.