This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Wong, K H Articles by Skelton, S K Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Wong, K H Articles by Skelton, S K

New, practical approach to detecting antibody to pertussis toxin for public health and clinical laboratories.

Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia 30333.

ABSTRACT

A new, practical method for determining antibody to pertussis toxin (PT) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for public health and clinical laboratories is possible because of recent advances in understanding the pathobiology of Bordetella pertussis and the physicochemical properties of PT. The new approach does not require the use of highly purified PT antigen, which is difficult and expensive for most laboratories to obtain. Moreover, it employs only reagents that are commercially readily available. The method combines the purification of PT antigen and an assay for PT antibody into one process. It depends on (i) growth of B. pertussis in a simple, defined medium to obtain a PT-rich supernatant with little contamination of cellular antigens; (ii) a simple, one-step concentration of PT in the culture supernatant with Affi-Gel Blue (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Richmond, Calif.); and (iii) specific adsorption of PT as the test antigen to microtiter wells coated with fetuin for the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The procedure is sensitive and specific for PT antibody. It is technically simple, reproducible, and can be performed in a modestly equipped laboratory.