Research, Incorporated

Harlan D Caldwell

Cho-chou Kuo

George E Kenny

Solubilized antigens of C. trachomatis strain LGV-434 upon analysis using two-dimensional immunoelectrophoresis yielded a single antigen which was found to be consistently precipitated by sera of patients with C. trachomatis infections. This antigen as antigen-antibody complex was employed as an immunogen to prepare a rabbit monospecific antiserum to this component or antigen. This monospecific antiserum demonstrated the presence of the antigen in each of the 15 strains of C. trachomatis organisms and was non-reactive with strains of C. psittaci. The C. trachomatis specific antigen was purified by immunoadsorption chromatography using monospecific antiserum as a specific ligand covalently bound to agarose gel columns and the resulting purified antigen employed to detect antibody from the sera of lymphogranuloma venereum patients using counterimmunoelectrophoresis. When the C. trachomatis specific antigen is isotopically labeled and utilized in the highly sensitive radioimmune assay antibody to the antigen should be demonstrated and a serological test based thereon should be applicable for the serological diagnosis of non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU).

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Harlan D Caldwell