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US 5,472,696 AGranted
Antigen of group B streptococci
AssigneeUniv. of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
InventorsMichael D. P. Boyle, L. Jeannine Brady
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Abstract
The subject invention concerns a novel in vitro process for identifying and quantifying native antigens on potentially pathogenic group B streptococci bacteria present in a clinical specimen. The invention process is made possible by the discovery of novel bacterial markers denoted .gamma. and .delta. epitopes which are expressed by a variety of group B streptococcal strains.
Claims1
C composition consisting essentially of .delta. antigen obtained by a process comprising the steps of:
- (a) raising antibodies by immunizing a host animal with an immunogenic amount of a Group B Streptococci strain A909 known to express said .delta. antigen and having all the identifying characteristics of ATCC 27591;
- (b) isolating antisera from said host that contains said antibodies;
- (c) contacting said antisera with strains of Group B #treptococci that express .alpha., .beta., and .gamma. antigens, but that do not express said .delta. antigen, whereby antibodies reactive with said .alpha., .beta., and .gamma. antigens are depleted from said antisera;
- (d) attaching the antisera of step (c) to a matrix material to form an immunoadsorbent matrix;
- (e) contacting said immunoadsorbent matrix with an extract of cell surface antigens from Group B Stteptococci known to express said .delta. antigen, so that said .delta. antigen is bound to said immunoadsorbent matrix;
- and
- (f) recovering bound .delta. antigen from said immunoadsorbent matrix.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.