Immunization with soot from a non-combustion process provokes formation of antibodies against polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

The emission of soot during combustion processes used in transportation, manufacturing, and power generation is of increasing concern because of its serious adverse health effects. In particular, the ability to modulate the immune system has recently been established. In the present investigation, an artificial soot sample that was prepared by fragmentation of acetylene in a laser-induced plasma was used as an antigen for the immunization of a rabbit. A highly sensitive competition curve in an indirect competitive ELISA using a benzo[a]pyrene-BSA conjugate as a coating antigen could be constructed for benzo[a]pyrene with an IC50 of 2.94 mug/l (11.65 nmol/l). In contrast to the high affinity, the soot antiserum dilution (antibody titer) of 1:750 was rather low. The cross-reactivity was tested with 16 parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 7 nitrated polycyclic aromatics, and 3 methylated, hydroxylated or butyric acid derivatives. The results obtained suggest that the vertebrate immune system can respond to an immunization with soot by the generation of high affinity IgG class antibodies against polycyclic aromatics. It is likely that antibodies are raised against the molecular structures which form the framework of the soot particles and not against adsorbed and extractable polyaromatic compounds. The experiments suggest that if soot is considered a T-independent antigen, the isotype switch, essentially from IgM to IgG, could have been caused by co-inoculation with a T-dependent antigen, i.e., mycobacteria contained in Freunds complete adjuvant. However, at the cellular level the mechanism remains to be uncovered.

Development of a highly sensitive monoclonal antibody based ELISA for detection of benzo[a]pyrene in potable water.

In Europe, a limit value of 10 ng L(-1) was set by the European Commission for benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) in water intended for human consumption (Council Directive 98/83/EC) and, therefore, sensitive and reliable methods are needed to evaluate its presence. We report here on the development of a highly sensitive indirect competitive ELISA for the detection of B[a]P in potable water. Fourteen monoclonal antibodies were generated in mice using novel B[a]P derivatives. The immunoassay with the least interference and the best sensitivity was optimized and characterized. As co-solvent, ten percent methanol (v/v) was determined as the optimum concentration for B[a]P solubilization for use with the developed ELISA. With the purified antibody (clone 22F12) the average IC50 for B[a]P and corresponding detection limit at a signal:noise (S/N) ratio of 3 was 65 ng L(-1) and 24 ng L(-1), respectively. From the 16 EPA-designated PAHs, only chrysene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, and benzo[b]fluoranthene showed a cross-reactivity (CR) higher than 20%. No CR was observed for two- and three-ringed aromatics as well as dibenz[ah]anthracene and benzo[ghi]perylene. The effect of pH value (range 6.5-9.5), ionic strength (specific electric conductivity 1 microS cm(-1)-2.5 mS cm(-1)), and inorganic ions (sodium, copper, iron, aluminium, manganese, chloride, sulfate, nitrate, and nitrite at maximum permissible levels according to the Council Directive) on both signal and sensitivity of the ELISA was studied. No significant influence of these parameters on the ELISA competition curve was found. We suggest that the optimized ELISA can be used to monitor potable water samples without previous extraction from the samples. The assay should facilitate the cleanup of B[a]P contaminated sites where B[a]P levels fall close to the limit value of the new drinking water directive.