ABSTRACT
A combined hepatitis test (Ausria/Core, Abbott Laboratories, Wiesbaden, West Germany) detects hepatitis B surface antigen by radioimmunoassay and antibody to the core antigen by enzyme immunoassay using a single bead. It was found to have comparable sensitivity to commercially available tests from the same manufacturer for each component. Reproducibility was satisfactory for both components. The combined test is simpler and cheaper to perform than two separate tests.
Subject(s)
Hepatitis B Antibodies/analysis , Hepatitis B Core Antigens/immunology , Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/analysis , Hepatitis B/diagnosis , Hepatitis B/etiology , Hepatitis B/immunology , Humans , Radioimmunoassay/methods , Transfusion ReactionABSTRACT
The prevalence of HBsAg and anti-HBs in personnel of the Canadian Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (BTS) during 1979 was not found to be significantly different from that of staff first employed in 1978-1979 or from that found among voluntary blood donors. Between 1976 and 1979, 2525 individuals were tested, of whom 13 seroconverted to HBsAg-positive; 54% of these cases appeared to be accident-related. During the same period 29 staff developed anti-HBs; of these 21% were apparently accident-related. Actual rates of seroconversion were not calculated because of staff turnover. The data suggest that BTS employees do not constitute a 'high-risk' group.
Subject(s)
Blood Banks , Blood Transfusion , Hepatitis B/epidemiology , Occupational Diseases/epidemiology , Canada , Hepatitis B Antibodies/analysis , Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/analysis , Humans , Red Cross , RiskABSTRACT
A rapid, sensitive counterimmunoelectrophoresis assay was developed to detect adenovirus in stools of patients with gastroenteritis. The parameters of the assay were optimized, and its sensitivity and efficiency was examined. The assay promises to be a useful alternative to conventional techniques of cell culture isolation or electron microscopy for the detection of adenovirus in stool specimens.
Subject(s)
Adenoviruses, Human/immunology , Antigens, Viral/analysis , Counterimmunoelectrophoresis , Immunoelectrophoresis , Adenovirus Infections, Human/immunology , Adenoviruses, Human/isolation & purification , Convalescence , Feces/immunology , Gastroenteritis/immunology , Humans , Microscopy, ElectronABSTRACT
Counterimmunoelectrophoresis was adapted as a rapid, sensitive assay for detection of adenovirus group-specific antibody. This assay was six times more sensitive than the complement fixation test and was successfully adapted for use with microliter quantities of serum or whole blood.
Subject(s)
Adenoviruses, Human/immunology , Antibodies, Bacterial/analysis , Counterimmunoelectrophoresis , Immunoelectrophoresis , Blood/microbiology , Complement Fixation Tests , Cross Infection/immunologyABSTRACT
An indirect microhemagglutination assay (IHA) was devised because of a need to provide an alternative test to complement fixation (CF) for varicella-zoster (V-Z) antibody determination. Human erythrocytes were sequentially treated with 2% glutaraldehyde, 0.04% tannic acid, and 2% pyruvic aldehyde then exposed to sonicated V-Z infected cells. This same tanning procedure was suitable for herpes simplex and Epstein-Barr virus antigen attachment but unsatisfactory for several non-herpes-group viruses. V-Z antibody titres determined by IHA were generally 2 to 6 times higher than CF titres. Cross-reaction with herpes simplex antibody was minimal.
