Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology – Measuring or testing process involving enzymes or... – Involving antigen-antibody binding – specific binding protein...
Patent
1989-08-15
1991-01-15
Kepplinger, Esther L.
Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
Measuring or testing process involving enzymes or...
Involving antigen-antibody binding, specific binding protein...
435 4, 435 29, 435 34, 435810, 436805, G01N 33569, C12Q 102, C12Q 104
Patent
active
049853538
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a method for the diagnosis of whooping-cough and to a test kit for carrying the method into effect. The method according to the invention makes it possible directly to detect the presence of pertussis toxin produced by the whooping-cough bacterium (Bordetella pertussis) in samples of body fluid (sputum, nasopharyngeal secretion, saliva or blood).
PRIOR ART
In practical application, two different methods are being used at present for the diagnosis of whooping-cough in patients suspected of being infected with the whooping-cough bacterium, viz. a culture method and a serological method.
CULTURE METHOD
Conventional hospital technique for the diagnosis of whooping-cough is based on the culturing of whole whooping-cough bacteria from nasopharyngeal, sputum or saliva samples from a patient suspected of being infected. The culture can then be used for detecting the bacterium. Samples for culturing are not taken until whooping-cough is suspected in a patient, usually after 3-4 weeks when the symptom begins to distinguish from an ordinary cold, and then it is frequently too late for a reliable result by culturing the sample because but a few whooping-cough bacteria, or none at all, remain in the sample. The culturing method is time-consuming, and furthermore the whooping-cough bacterium is difficult to culture and sensitive to the culturing conditions and to the transport of the sample to the laboratory. The sensitivity of this diagnosing method has been estimated in a number of studies to at most 50% (see for example C. C. Linneman, 1979, Host-parasite interactions in pertussis, C. R. Manclark and J. C. Hill (ed.) International Symposium on pertussis. US Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Bethesda, Md. pp 3-18).
SEROLOGICAL METHOD
A plurality of serological methods for the diagnosis of whooping-cough exist, all of which are based on the detection of a specific antibody response to the whooping-cough bacterium or to proteins produced by the whooping-cough bacterium. The method which at present is the most sensitive utilizes ELISA (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), the FHA (fimbrial haemagglutinin) produced by the whooping-cough bacterium being used as antigen (M. Granstrom, G. Granstrom, A. Lindfors and P. Askelof, 1982. Serologic diagnosis of whooping-cough by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using fimbrial haemagglutinin as antigen. J. Inf. Dis. 146: 741-745).
In this method, sensitivity amounts to 96%, and the method is at present the most sensitive one for the diagnosis of whooping-cough. The method has the disadvantage that in most cases two blood samples are required which are taken at an interval of several weeks to detect a possible increase of the specific antibodies. Such increase of the specific antibodies indicates that an infection is in progress. Although the diagnosis thus is fairly reliable, it usually is too late for a successful treatment of the patient, for example with antibiotics.
It will thus be appreciated that there is considerable need for a method for the diagnosis of whooping-cough, which is highly sensitive and can be carried out in a relatively short time, thereby to prevent the outbreak of epidemics and to enable successful treatment of the patient (for example with antibiotics) at an early stage of the disease.
It is the object of the present invention to provide such a method for the diagnosis of whooping-cough, which is highly sensitive and can be carried out in a relatively short time, and to provide a test kit for carrying the method into effect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention, in one of its aspects, provides an entirely new method for the diagnosis of whooping-cough, said method being carried out by or blood) from a patient with at least a part of a pertussis toxin-sensitive, chromatophore-containing fish-scale during a predetermined suitable period of time; means of a microscope; by means of a microscope; and observed fish-scale color, the absence of a color change, or a slight color change, indicating the
REFERENCES:
patent: 4652521 (1987-03-01), Confer et al.
Karlsson, J. O. G. et al; Chemical Abstracts, vol. 103; p. 468; (Life Sci. 1985).
Kepplinger Esther L.
Passeri Daniel R.
Trion Forskning-Och Utvecklings Aktiebolag
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