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AssigneeThe United States of America, as represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services
InventorsRobert C. Gallo, Mikulas Popovic, Mangalasseril G. Sarngadharan
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This invention relates to the detection of antibodies in sera of AIDS and pre-AIDS patients and describes the biochemical and immunological analysis of antigens associated with the virus HTLV-III Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus. It is shown that antigens associated with the infection of human cells by this virus are specifically recognized by antibodies from AIDS patients. Specifically, HTLV-III isolated from AIDS patients and transmitted by cocultivation with an HT cell line is specifically detected by antibodies from human sera taken from AIDS patients. The method of detection of antibodies preferred is a strip radioimmunoassay (RIA) based on the Western Blot technique or an ELISA (an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) or an indirect immunofluorescence assay.
A method for the detection of antibodies which specifically bind to antigenic sites of the Human T-cell Leukemia Virus-III (HTLV-III) virion in samples of the body fluids of patients with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) or risk of AIDS (pre-AIDS) which comprises contacting HTLV-III or fractions thereof said sample with antibodies from human sera taken from AIDS patients and measuring the formation of antigen-antibody complexes by strip radioimmunoassay based on Western Blot technique or ELISA (an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) or indirect immunofluorescent assay.
A diagnostic test kit for detection of AIDS specific antibodies comprising a compartmented enclosure containing multiwell plates which are coated with HTLV-III and ELISA materials for enzyme detection consisting of normal goat serum and peroxidase, labeled goat antihuman IgG and a color change indicator consisting of orthophenylene diamine and hydrogen peroxide in phosphate citrate buffer.
A diagnostic AIDS specific test kit for detecting AIDS specific antibodies using the Western Blot technique comprising a container, a cover, and therein containing a nitrocellulose sheet and a polyacrylamide slab gel and sodium dodecylsulfate, and additionally surfactants as well as pH modifiers and bovine serum albumin and the Fab fragment of normal human IgG, and Western Blot analysis container which contains a supply of dilute normal goat serum and I.sup.125 labeled goat antihuman immonoglobulin and a source of HTLV-III.
An AIDS specific test kit for detecting antibodies using the indirect immunofluorescence assay comprising a compartmental container, human test serum containing HTLV-III, phosphate buffered saline, and fluorescein-conjugated goat antiserum IgG.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.