Abbott Laboratories Corporation

John M Robinson

Tami J Pilot-Matias

Jeffrey C Hunt

Jerzy A Macioszek

This invention relates generally to an assay for Lyme disease which detects the antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. More specifically, the assay employs antigens derived from amino acid regions in the flagellum of Borrelia burgdorferi. These antigens are immunoreactive with antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi but are not substantially immunoreactive with antibodies to Treponema pallidum, the syphilis causing agent. DNA sequences of the antigens, clones and vectors containing the DNA sequences are also disclosed. Polypeptides derived therefrom can be used as reagents for the detection of antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi in the body fluids from individuals with Lyme disease.

Borrelia burgdorferi antigens and uses thereof

A method for treating biological samples, e.g., human sera or plasma, suspected of containing rheumatoid factors to eliminate cross-reactivity and false positive assay results in IgM immunoassays that are caused by the presence of rheumatoid factors in these biological samples. In one aspect, the method comprises diluting a biological sample with a sufficient amount of rheumatoid factor neutralization buffer to cause the pH of resulting reaction mixtures containing this sample and a solid phase material to be sufficiently low to cause rheumatoid factors in those mixtures to reduce their affinity to IgG antibodies to such an extent that they will not form a complex with IgG antibodies bound to the solid phase material, thereby facilitating the removal of these rheumatoid factors from the mixtures prior to the detection phase of a diagnostic assay. In another aspect of the invention, the method comprises introducing to a solid phase material containing a binding member-antibody complex a sufficient amount of rheumatoid factor neutralization buffer having a pH sufficiently low to cause rheumatoid factors bound to IgG antibodies bound to the solid phase material to reduce their affinity to the IgG antibodies to such an extent that the rheumatoid factors can be washed away from the solid phase material prior to the detection phase of a diagnostic assay.

Growing community of inventors

Gurnee, IL, United States of America

John M Robinson