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Abstract

This invention relates a simplified and reliable process for the detection and measurement of viral specific immunoglobulins such as IgG, IgM and IgE wherein relatively large-diameter plastic beads, e.g., 1/4', diameter polystyrene balls with a specular finish, are used as the solid matrix upon which a high concentration of standard cells are first grown or cultured. The cells are then infected with a particular virus to express a high concentration of unpurified viral antigen(s), and are then fixed to preserve the viral antigen(s) concentration. The resulting fixed plastic beads (PB) are washed (to remove fixing agent) and then employed as the basis of the detection of specific immunoglobulins in the patient's serum. The detection process involves simply incubating a measured dilution of patient serum with each PB whereby the various specific immunoglobulins in the patient serum will attach to the viral antigen(s) on the PB. The specific immunoglobulins (e.g. IgG) desired to be measured is detected by the addition, to the PB container, of the anti-human specific immunoglobulin (e.g., anti-human IgG) in tagged format, e.g., in radioactive form. The tagged anti-human specific immunoglobulin binds to the specific immunoglobulin and by measuring the amount of the tagged anti-human specific anti-globulin, one obtains a direct measurement of the amount of the desired specific immunoglobulin present in the patient serum. The process techniques offer the advantages of easy preparation, storage and handling of the basic unit (PB) used for measurement, and offers increased sensitivity and substantial savings in assay time over prior art methods.

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First Claim