Synthetic polypeptides and antibodies related to Epstein-Barr virus early antigen-diffuse

A method for assaying a body fluid sample for the presence of antibodies to EA-D comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a body fluid sample to be assayed;
• (b) providing a synthetic polypeptide containing 13 to about 40 amino acid residues having an amino acid residue sequence corresponding to an amino acid residue sequence represented by the formula:
• --PARPETPSPAIPS--,
• said synthetic polypeptide having the capacity to immunologically bind antibodies induced by EA-D;
• (c) admixing the body fluid sample with the polypeptide to form a first immunoreaction admixture;
• (d) maintaining the admixture under biological assay conditions for a predetermined time period sufficient for any anti-EA-D antibodies present in the sample to immunologically bind to the polypeptide to form a first immunoreactant;
• and
• (e) determining the presence of any first immunoreactant formed in said admixture and thereby the presence of said antibodies in said sample.

A diagnostic kit for assaying for the presence of anti-EA-D antibodies in a body fluid sample comprising in separate packages:

• (a) a synthetic polypeptide consisting essentially of 13 to about 40 amino acid residues having an amino acid residue sequence substantially corresponding to an amino acid residue sequence represented by the formula:
• --PARPETPSPAIPS--,
• said polypeptide having the capacity to be immunologically bound by antibodies induced by EA-D;
• and
• (b) a labeled specific binding agent for signaling the immunoreaction of anti-EA-D antibodies with the polypeptide.

A method of assaying for the presence of EA-D in a body sample consisting essentially of lysed peripheral blood lymphocytes comprising the steps of:

• (a) admixing the sample with receptors to form an immunoreaction admixture, said receptors raised to a synthetic polypeptide consisting essentially of 13 to about 40 amino acid residues having a sequence corresponding to an amino acid residue sequence represented by the formula:
• --PARPETPSPAIPS--;
• (b) maintaining the admixture under biological assay conditions for a predetermined time period sufficient for any EA-D present in the sample to immunoreact with the receptors to form an immunoreactant;
• and
• (c) determining the presence of any immunoreactant formed in said admixture and thereby the presence of said antibodies in said sample.

A diagnostic kit for assaying for the presence of EA-D in a body sample comprising in separate packages:

• (a) receptors raised to a synthetic polypeptide consisting essentially of 13 to about 40 amino acid residues having a sequence corresponding to an amino acid residue sequence represented by the formula:
• --PARPETPSPAIPS--,
• said receptors being capable of immunoreacting with the EA-D protein;
• and
• (b) a labeled specific binding agent for signaling the immunoreaction of the receptors with EA-D protein.

A method for assaying a human body fluid sample for the amount of IgA, IgM or IgG antibodies to EA-D comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a serum or plasma sample to be assayed;
• (b) admixing the body fluid sample with the solid support to form a first immunoreaction admixture, said solid support comprising a solid matrix having affixed thereto a synthetic polypeptide having an amino acid residue sequence, taken from left to right and in the direction from amino-terminus to carboxy-terminus, represented by the formula:
• PARPETPSPAIPS;
• (c) maintaining under biological assay conditions for a predetermined time period sufficient for any anti-EA-D antibodies present in the sample to immunologically bind to the polypeptide of the solid support to form a first immunoreactant;
• (d) thereafter separating said solid support from said body fluid sample;
• (e) admixing said separated solid support with biologically active labeled receptors to form a second immunoreaction admixture, said labeled receptors being immunoglobulin class-specific and capable of binding to and signaling the presence of any human immunoglobulin of classes IgA, IgM or IgG, respectively, present as first immunoreactant;
• (f) maintaining the second immunoreaction mixture so formed under the biological assay conditions for a predetermined period of time sufficient for said labeled receptors to form a second immunoreactant with any IgA, IgM or IgG antibodies to EA-D present as first immunoreactant;
• (g) separating the solid support from any labeled receptors not bound as second immunoreactant;
• and
• (h) determining the amount of labeled receptors present as second immunoreactant and thereby the amount of IgA, IgM or IgG antibodies present in said body fluid sample.