No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Hepatitis C is a worldwide recognized social disease. The causative agent of the diseasethe hepatitis C virus (HCV) -can induce both acute and chronic hepatitis with varying degrees of severity. Diagnosis of HCV infection requires both a positive HCV antibody screen and confirmatory nucleic acid testing (NAT). Antibody assays of the latest generation also include the detection of structural virus protein, namely HCV core antigen (HCVcAg), to increase test sensitivity and reduce the diagnostic window period. Testing for HCVcAg is also considered as a potential alternative to NAT [1]. In addition, HCVcAg could be of interest from the viewpoint of vaccine design. It is important that HCVcAg has the capacity to form virus-like particles (VLPs), which are considered as valuable tools in modern vaccine technology [2,3].

Aim. Study antigen-binding ability of polyclonal antibodies (PCA) of chicken compared with monoclonal antibodies (MCA) of mice in the model of interaction with HBsAg. Materials and methods. Mice MCA 18C8 and MKA F3/F4 (IgG) were used, effective in enzyme immunoassay sandwich method of HBsAg determination (with a minimal detection dose of 0.017 ng/ml), and affinity purified anti-HBsAg PCA of chicken (IgY), obtained from 2 immunized birds (PCA No. 1 and PCA No. 2). The ability of antibodies to bind HBsAg was evaluated by analytical sensitivity (slope of binding curve) of solid-phase enzyme immunoassay system using mice MCA and chicken PCA. Results. PCA No. 2 has provided a statistically significant 40% increase of analytical sensitivity, compared with «standard» immobilized MCA 18C8, in model experiments of binding of peroxidase-labeled HBsAg. However, transition from model experiments to use of PKA No. 1 and PICA No. 2 in sandwich method of determination of HBsAg instead of immobilized MCA 18C8 or detecting MCA F3/F4 in all the cases, on the contrary, resulted in a decrease of analytical sensitivity. Conclusion. A lower flexibility of chicken PCA was assumed to be able to impede bivalent interaction in sandwich method, resulting in formation of less stable immune complexes. Without challenging value of IgY for the creation of immunochemical diagnostic methods, these facts and assumptions indicate a necessity of a deeper elucidation of the best areas of their application.