[The development of species-specific test systems for the rapid diagnosis of staphylococcal infections]. / Razrabotka vidospetsificheskikh test-sistem dlia uskorennoi diagnostiki stafilokokkovykh infektsii.

Highly purified teichoic acids (TA) were isolated from Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis and characterized. The preparations of TA were highly species-specific. For the first time monospecific sera to S. aureus and S. epidermidis were obtained. From these monospecific sera immunoglobulins were isolated and used for the preparation of reagents for the passive hemagglutination (PHA) test and the enzyme immunoassay (EIA). The sensitivity of the PHA test and EIA was 15 micrograms/ml when S. aureus and S. epidermidis were used and 10(6)-10(7) cells/ml when whole microbial cells were used. The diagnostic preparations proved to be highly specific and did not react with other preparations isolated from S. aureus and S. epidermidis, as well as from bacteria belonging to other taxa. Experiments on rabbits, carried out with the use of newly developed test systems, demonstrated that staphylococci could be detected in the blood as early as 10 minutes after the intravenous infection of the animals and until day 12.

[The viroimmunotest for mass determinations of nanogram amounts of antigens]. / Viroimmunotest dlia massovykh opredelenii nanogrammovykh kolichestv antigena.

Simple highly sensitive screening variant of viral immunoassay for detection of nanogram quantity of antigen is proposed. The antigen linked with antibodies adsorbed on polystyrene 96-well plates was revealed by conjugate of Fab' fragments of antibodies with phage phi X174. The concentration of the antigen could be detected qualitatively and quantitatively (from 0.3 ng/ml to 1000 ng/ml).

[Modification of the viral immunoassay for determining ultramicro-quantities of antigens]. / Modifikatsiia viroimmunotesta dlia opredeleniia ul'tramikrokolichestv antigenov.

A technique for ultramicro-quantitation of antigens is suggested. It is based on the antigen isolation by immunosorption and a subsequent assay using phage-antigen conjugate (modification of viral immunoassay). Antibody Fab' fragments were bound to both the immunosorbent and the conjugate through their terminal thio groups. The technique sensitivity was one-two orders higher than that of ELISA for the corresponding antigens.

[Synthesis of a high-volume immunosorbent with oriented immobilization of Fab'-fragments for antigen separation]. / Sintez vysokoemkogo immunosorbenta s orientirovannoi immobilizatsiei Fab'-fragmentov dlia vydeleniia antigena.

A highly capacious immunosorbent for antigen demonstration has been synthesized. Use has been made of oriented immobilization of antibody Fab'-fragments on porous cellulose balls at the expense of the reaction of disulfide exchange. Up to 100 mg of Fab' was fixed on the sorbent, with the capacity reaching 200 mg antigen (rabbit IgG) per g of dry weight sorbent. The molar ratio Fab'/IgG was equal to 0.8-0.9, i.e. approximated the theoretical limit: one molecule of antigen per one active center antibody.

[Level of normal antibodies and immunoglobulins in human serum in the extreme conditions of the Antarctic]. / Uroven' normal'nykh antitel i immunoglobulinov v syvorotke cheloveka v ékstremal'nykh usloviiakh Antarktidy.

The sera of 27 polar explorers wintering at the station "Vostok" in Antarctica were studied. The dynamics of normal antibodies, correlating with the immunoglobulin level in the sera, was observed. The observation revealed that the development of changes in the content of immunoglobulins of different classes started at different time. The authors suggest that a common mechanism is responsible for the synthesis of nonspecific immunoglobulins and normal antibodies, the latter indicating the level of natural resistance to the action of various environmental factors.

[Virioimmunoassay for studying the interaction of diphtheria toxin with cell membranes]. / Izuchenie vzaimodeistviia difteriinogo toksina s kletochnymi membranami a pomoshch'iu virioimmunotesta.

A model for studying the interaction of diphtheria toxin with cell membranes includes immobilization of purified cell membranes on Sephadex G-25, adsorbtion of toxin on the membranes in the presence of protective colloid, and subsequent detection of adsorbed toxin by means of virioimmunoassay. Diphtheria toxin adsorbed rapidly on membranes of both sensitive (HeLa, macrophages) and resistent to tis action cells, but not on stromaof human erythrocytes. The rate of interaction depends on the concentration of toxin and the temperature of incubation. Adsorbed toxin may be eluted by acidic buffer, 8 M area and 4 M guanidin. HCl, but not by triton X-100, tween 20 and 80, sodium dodecylaulfate and basic buffer.