Production and evaluation of egg derived hot start antibodies

BACKGROUND: Hot start can greatly improve specificity, sensitivity and yield of PCR. Non-specific amplification can occur in PCR when reaction mixture is prepared at room temperature, because Taq DNA polymerase is active and the primers can hybridize non-specifically. Hot start Taq DNA polymerases remain inactive at room temperature and are activated after heating at 95°C preventing non-specific amplification. Monoclonal antibodies against Taq DNA polymerase is the first line of reagents used for turn on regular Taq DNA polymerase into Hot start one. The goal of this research was to produce and evaluate Hot Start antibodies derived from chicken eggs. RESULTS: We performed affinity purification of yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) and obtained polyclonal Hot Start antibodies. The yield of specific antibodies was 0.36 mg per egg or 0.2% of total yolk antibodies. The protocol for real time measurement and Hot start IgY activity assessment was developed. We found that Hot start IgY can reversibly block Taq DNA polymerase activity at 50°C and have no negative impact neither on the Taq DNA polymerase activity after denaturation nor on the reverse transcriptase. We estimated that 1.0 µg of Hot start IgY effectively blocks 5 U activity of Taq DNA polymerase. CONCLUSIONS: Egg derived Hot Start polyclonal antibodies are the cheapest source of Hot start antibodies, from one immune egg we can isolate 0.36 mg IgY, this quantity is enough for producing 1800 U activity of Hot start Taq DNA Polymerase.

CORAL SNAKE ANTIVENOM PRODUCED IN CHICKENS (Gallus domesticus) / Antiveneno de serpiente coral producido en gallinas (Gallus domesticus)

The production of anti-snake venom from large mammal's blood has been found to be low-yielding and arduous, consequently, antivenom immunoglobulins for treatment are achieved regularly as polyvalent serum. We have standardized an undemanding technique for making purified immunoglobulin IgY antivenom consisting of polyclonal antibodies against coral snake venom in the egg yolk of immunized hens. We have adapted a reported process of antibody purification from egg yolks, and achieved 90% antibody purity. The customized technique consisted of the removal of lipids from distilled water-diluted egg yolks by a freeze–thaw sequence. The specific immunoglobulins were present in the egg yolk for up to 180 days postimmunization. Therefore, by means of small venom quantities, a significant amount of immunoglobulins were found in an adequately purified state (The obtained material contained about 90% pure IgY). The antigen binding of the immunoglobulins was detected by a double immunodiffusion test. Titers of antibodies in the yolk were estimated with a serum protection assay (Median effective dose = ED50) (ED50= 477 mg/kg). Given that breeding hens is economically feasible, egg gathering is noninvasive and the purification of IgY antibodies is quick and easy, chicken immunization is an excellent alternative for the production of polyclonal antibodies. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first coral snake antivenom prepared in birds.

La producción de antiveneno de serpiente usando sangre de grandes mamíferos se ha encontrado que es de bajo rendimiento y de trabajo arduo, en consecuencia, las inmunoglobulinas antiveneno para el tratamiento se obtienen generalmente, como suero polivalente. Hemos estandarizado una técnica poco exigente para la fabricación de inmunoglobulina purificada IgY, que consistió en generar anticuerpos policlonales contra el veneno de la serpiente coral en huevos de gallinas inmunizadas. La técnica consistió en la eliminación de lípidos de las yemas del huevo, diluidas en agua y en una secuencia de congelación-descongelación. Las inmunoglobulinas específicas estuvieron presentes en la yema de huevo hasta 180 días después de la inmunización. La unión del antígeno a las inmunoglobulinas se detectó mediante un ensayo de inmunodifusión doble. Los títulos de anticuerpos en la yema fueron estimados con un ensayo de protección (dosis efectiva media = ED50). Dado que las gallinas reproductoras son económicamente viables, la recolección de huevos es no invasiva y la purificación de anticuerpos IgY es rápida y fácil, la inmunización de la gallina es una excelente alternativa para la producción de anticuerpos policlonales. A nuestro entender, esta es el primer anti-veneno contra serpiente de coral preparado en aves.

Production of Egg Yolk Antibodies Specific to House Dust Mite Proteins

PURPOSE: House dust mites (HDMs) are an important source of indoor allergens associated with asthma, rhinitis and atopic dermatitis. Chicken immunoglobulin (Ig) Y is known to be a good alternative to mice and rabbit antibody production. In this study, we produced IgYs specific to HDMs and investigated their IgE immunoreactivities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total IgYs were isolated from the yolks of White Leghorn hens immunized with either Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus or D. farinae protein extract. Control antibodies were separated from the yolks of immunized hens with phosphate buffered saline. IgYs specific to HDMs were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blotting analysis. RESULTS: The concentration of egg IgY specific to D. farinae in an immunized hen increased and the highest achieved was 661.3 ug/mg (per an egg) on day 47, compared with 760 ug/mg IgY specific to D. pteronyssinus on day 16. The D. pteronyssinus or D. farinae-specific IgY was detected by binding of each mite proteins, and their immunoreactivities were elevated dependent of the specific IgY concentration. CONCLUSION: IgY specific to HDMs may be a promising antibody for immunological diagnosis as well as identification of possible resistance relating to HDM allergy.

Produção e purificação de imunoglobulinas Y policlonais anti-Leptospira spp / Production and purification of polyclonal anti-Leptospira immunoglobulin Y

Objetivou-se verificar se galinhas imunizadas com uma solução de Leptospira interrogans inativadas e proteínas de membrana externa do sorovar Hardjo, poderiam produzir anticorpos policlonais específicos anti-leptospiras, detectáveis em testes ELISA. Foram imunizados oito galinhas com 25 semanas de idade, da raça White Leghorn, sendo três imunizadas com uma suspensão de leptospiras inativadas, três com uma solução de proteínas de membrana externa extraída do sorovar Hardjo e duas controle. Coletas de sangue foram realizadas quinzenalmente e de ovos diariamente. A IgY foi purificada a partir da gema dos ovos utilizando para a delipidação o método de diluição em água ácida e a precipitação com sulfato de amônio. Nos testes ELISA realizados para verificar a especificidade da IgY, foi demonstrada a produção de anticorpos anti-Leptospira, tanto no soro quanto nas gemas purificadas. O pico de produção de anticorpos específicos ocorreu na 5º semana após a primeira imunização. Ficou demonstrada a possibilidade da indução da produção de anticorpos específicos em galinhas imunizadas com leptospiras do sorovar Hardjo inativadas, bem como, com proteínas de membrana externa (PME) extraidas desse sorovar. As galinhas imunizadas com uma suspensão de leptospiras inativadas ou com PME de Leptospira interrogans do sorovar Hardjo produziram anticorpos reativos a PME Hardjo detectáves por teste ELISA.

The aim was to determine whether hens immunized with an inactivated suspension of Leptospira and a solution of outer membrane proteins extracted from the serovar Hardjo, could produce specific polyclonal antibodies to Leptospira, detected in ELISA assay. Eight hens White Leghorn race with 25-weeks-old were immunized, three with an inactivated suspension of Leptospira, three with a solution of outer membrane proteins (OMP) extracted from the serovar Hardjo and two controls immunized with saline. Blood samples were collected fortnightly and eggs daily. The IgY was purified from the egg yolk using the method for the delipidation of dilution with water acidic and ammonium sulfate precipitation. The ELISA assay was performed to verify the specificity of the IgY, these was possible to observe the production of specific antibody to Leptospira both in serum and purified egg yolk. The specific antibody titers peaked in the fifth week post immunization. The production of polyclonal IgY was effective for producing high titers of specific antibodies.

Successful treatment of rotavirus-induced diarrhoea in suckling mice with egg yolk immunoglobulin.

The role of specific immunoglobulins at mucosal sites in imparting protection against disease, such as rotavirus-associated diarrhoea, is well-established. Oral immunoglobulin therapy with egg yolk-derived anti-rotavirus immunoglobulins has previously been shown to achieve moderate therapeutic effect in diarrhoea due to rotavirus in a clinical trial. Here, data on the therapeutic potential of the same immunoglobulin preparation in an infant mouse model of rotavirus-induced diarrhoea is presented. The use of an animal model has allowed therapy to be evaluated with higher doses of immunoglobulins and has suggested that an improved therapeutic effect can be achieved by increasing the dose in the clinical setting.

Passive immunization using purified IgYs against infectious bursal disease of chickens in Pakistan

Infectious bursal disease (IBD) is an acute and highly contagious disease of young chickens caused by Birnavirus. Mortality of infected birds can be best prevented if injected with antibodies. The present study was an attempt to raise specific hyper-immune polyclonal antibodies against IBD virus in Pakistan. Commercial layers divided into four groups were injected with IBD vaccine subcutaneously according to four different treatment regimens. Eggs were collected daily and antibodies were purified from yolk with dextran sulphate. Titers of antibodies in serum and yolk were evaluated with enzyme linked immunosorbant assay and agar gel precipitation test. Antibody titers were significantly higher in yolk than serum. Eggs collected at 28 days post-vaccination had maximum antibody titers. Of treatment regimens, T3 was found to be most effective for hyperimmunization. Lyophilized antibodies stored at 4oC did not lose their activity till the end of experiment. IBD virus infected birds were injected with purified antibodies which induced 92% recovery as compared to control birds. The study implicates that the purified antibodies may be useful as a therapeutic agent to cure IBD infected birds.

Production of IgY anti-mouse IgG antibodies from chicken eggs.

IgY technology offers several advantages over antibody production in mammals. In this study, we applied IgY technology for the production of anti-mouse IgG polyclonal antibodies and developed a FITC conjugate reagent. Two hens were immunized 3 times with mouse IgG, one via the pectoralis and the other via the calf muscles. Specific antibodies could be detected in the sera two weeks after the immunization, and maximum levels were reached at week 10. The hen which was immunized via the pectoralis muscle produced a much higher antibody response than the hen immunized via the calf muscle. In egg yolk, specific antibodies appeared 2 weeks after the first immunization, reached a plateau after week 11 and remained high until week 20. IgY were extracted from egg yolk by sodium sulfate precipitation. Approximately 40 mg of IgY could be extracted from a single egg. The extracted IgY was labeled with FITC. The so-produced antibody-FITC conjugate reacted to all mouse IgG isotypes and could be used to determine leukocyte sub-populations in blood samples by flow cytometry.

Desarrollo de un método de radioinmunoanálisis para cortisol, utilizando anticuerpos obtenidos y purificados de la yema de huevo de gallinas inmunizadas / A radioimmunoassay method developed with antibodies purified from the yolk of immunized hen eggs

Se indujeron anticuerpos anticortisol en gallinas de postura, para lo cual se realizó una primera aplicación de 1 mg de cortisol conjugado con albúmina sérica bovina (BSA) y mezclado con adyuvante completo de Freund y solución salina fisiológica; posteriormente se realizaron seis aplicaciones más de 0.5 mg del mismo inmunógeno, los cuales se aplicaron a intervalos de 15 días. Se encontró en suero un título promedio, durante el periodo de colección del huevo, de 39.4 por ciento en una dilución de trabajo 1:1000. Los anticuerpos anticortisol se recuperaron y purificaron a partir de la yema de huevo y con ellos se desarrolló la pueba de radioinmunoanálisis (RIA) de fase líquida. Los anticuerpos de la yema mostraron alta especificidad para el cortisol respecto de otros esteroides (reacción cruzada menora 0.1 por ciento con androstenediona, estradiol, 17-hidroxiprogesterona y testosterona), así como una sensibilidad de 339 pg/ml. La precisión del RIA fue adecuada (C.V intensayo menor a 15 por ciento), al igual que la recuperación del sistema. El rendimiento fue de 594 552.63 mg de proteína que sirven para procesar 95 000 000 tubos. Se concluye que la yema de huevo de gallinas inmunizadas es una efectiva fuente de anticuerpos anticortisol, la cual puede ser utilizada como una alternativa al suero de conejos

Chicken egg yolk anti-asialoGM1 immunoglobulin (IgY): an inexpensive glycohistochemical probe for localization of T-antigen in human colorectal adenocarcinomas.

A egg yolk polyclonal IgY has been prepared by immunization of white leghorn chickens with small unilamellar liposomal asialoGM1. The newly prepared anti-asialoGM1 IgY has been characterized to be specific toward the terminal carbohydrate moiety of asialoGM1, and has no cross reactivity to its sialylated counterpart (ganglioside, GM1) as evidenced by immunochromatographic studies. General glycohistochemical methods along with antigen specific lectin and immunohistochemical staining using anti-asialoGM1 IgY were used to study the expression of Thomsen-Friedenreich (T-) disaccharide antigen in human colorectal adenocarcinoma tissues. The expression of T-antigen in colon cancer tissue was detected by two T-disaccharide specific probes, chicken anti-T-yolk antibody (IgY) and Artocarpus integrifolia lectin (AIL) and was found to be more pronounced in both the secreted mucin as well as the cytoplasmic mucin deposits. These immunochemical detection methods for T-antigen showed a weaker correlation with other glycostaining methods using, alcian-blue/periodic acid-Schiff (AB-PAS) and high iron diamine (HID). However, a general enzymatic staining for galactose and galactosamine containing glycoconjugates, by galactose oxidase-Schiff method, showed a good correlation with T-antigen detection. While the T-beta specific anti-asialoGM1 could localize T-antigen in 11 of 13 (84%) human colorectal adenocarcinoma tissue sections tested, the T-alpha specific AIL could localize the T-antigen in only 6 of the tissues (46%). These observations confirm previously reported findings, of the prevalence of T-beta conformation in colon cancer, that binds significantly more with the anti-asialoGM1 IgY than with the T-alpha specific AIL. Hence, both anti-T IgY and the AIL immunohistochemical probes may have useful diagnostic value because of the ease of preparation and cost effectiveness, but the T-beta specific anti-asialoGM1 probe (IgY) would have a better prognostic value in colon adenocarcinomas.

Estimación del costo de producción de dos técnicas de radioinmunoanálisis en fase líquida para medir progesterona en plasma sanguíneo / Estimation of production costs of two radioimmunoanalysis in liquid stage to measure progesterone in blood plasma

Introducción. La mediación de progesterona de origen ovárico, es un prodecidimiento que permite determinar la funcionalidad reproductiva de las hembras de todos los mamíferos domésticos, inclusive en la mujer. En México, la tecnología del radioinmunoanálisis (RIA) es la más utilizada para medir progesterona sanguínea. Sin embargo, no existe alguna industria mexicana que se dedique a producir estuches comerciales. En el presente trabajo se estimó el costo de producción de dos técnicas de RIA en fase líquida para medir progesterona sanguínea. Material y métodos. A partir de los insumos primarios (anticuerpo, calibrador o analito y trazador) se establecieron y validaron dos técncias de RIA para medir progesterona sanguínea. La técnica A utilizó anticuerpos antipropgesterona inducidos en conejo y extraídos del suero sanguíneo. La técnica B utilizó anticuerpos antiprogesterona inducidos en gallina de postura y extraídos de la yema del huevo. Resultados. La sensibilidad de ambas técnicas de RIA permitió detectar valores relativamente bajos de la hormona, lo suficiente para poder detectar actividad luteal. El costo de producción por tubo (de USD 0.14 a 0.20) disminuyó conforme aumentó el rendimiento del anticuerpo. Discusión. En nuestro medio la producción de anticuerpos contra progesterona para establecer un RIA es una alternativa viable y disminuiría el costo de utilización de esta técnica

Aglutinación de inmunoglobulinas de yema de huevo de gallina (IgY) contra Salmonella enterica serovariedad Enteritidis / Agglutination of chicken egg yolk immunoglobulins (IgY) against Salmonella enterica serovar Enteriditis

Para producir extractos de IgY se emplearon dos lotes de 6 gallinas ponedoras cada uno. En el lote vacunado (V) las aves se inocularon por vía intramuscular con dos dosis de una bacterina contra Salmonella enterica serovariedad Enteritidis. En el lote testigo (T) las aves no se vacunaron. Con las yemas de ambos lotes se efectuaron 4 extracciones de IgY. Las dos primeras se realizaron con las yemas de los huevos producidos durante la 4§ y 5§ semana post-vacunación (extractos 1V y 1T) y las otras dos con las de la 6§, 7§ y 8§ semana (2V y 2T). Los extractos 1V y 1T se congelaton y descongelaron (1V-A y 1T-A) y se concentraron por diálisis simple (1V-B y 1T-B) o doble (1V-C y 1T-C). Mediante una prueba de ELISA para detectar antígenos flagelares de S. Enteritidis, los extractos V fueron positivos y los T negativos. El extracto 1V-C fue el más positivo y se seleccionó para realizar las aglutinaciones. Este extracto contenía 1,9 g/dl de proteínas totales y presentó bandas electroforéticas características de IgY. El extracto 1T-C fue usado como control negativo de aglutinación. Emplenado ambos extractos IgY y antisueros policlonales de conejo (IgG) se efectuaron aglutinaciones somáticas en placa y flagelares en tubo. Se estudiaron 357 cepas de S. enterica, 10 cepas de diferentes especies de la familia Enterobacteriaceae y dos cepas de la familia Vibrionaceae. El extracto 1V-C aglutinó a distintas cepas de Salmonella con estructura antigénica somática o flagelar relacionada con la cepa vacunal, mientras que las salmonelas con antígenos diferentes y otras especies de la familia Enterobacteriaceae y Vibrionaceae fueron negativas. Este trabajo demuestra que es posible emplear las IgY para identificar serovariedades de S. enterica

Field trials with hyperimmune egg yolk to control losses in outbreaks of very virulent infectious bursal disease in vaccinated commercial layer pullet flocks

Field trails to control serious losses from very virulent infectious bursal disease [vvIBD] outbreaks in vaccinated layer pullet flocks by parenteral administration of hyperimmune egg yolk preparation were carried out The results are presented and discussed