Radioimmunoassays of abrin and ricin in blood

Godal, Aslak; Olsnes, Sjur; Pihl, Alexander

doi:10.1080/15287398109530079

Cited by 70 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Radioimmunoassay has been used to monitor abrin and ricin concentration in cancer patients who have been treated with these toxins. This detection method is sensitive in a range of 50-100 pg/mL [3]. There is also a new method to detect exposure to abrin.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attempted Suicide, by Mail Order: Abrus precatorius

2010

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Objective Abrus precatorius is cultivated in many subtropical areas. The seeds exist in a variety of colors such as black, orange, and most commonly, glossy red. A black band is found at the end of the seed. The plant contains multiple pods which typically contain three to five Abrus seeds. The seeds contain abrin, which inhibits ribosomal function, halting protein synthesis and leading to cellular death. A unique aspect of this case is the use of the internet to order a potentially lethal poison as well as transmission of a picture to identify the seed. Case Report A 20-year-old man presented to the emergency department complaining of vomiting and watery diarrhea for 6-8 h prior to arrival. He denied any medication use, recent illness, travel, or changes in his diet. Initial vital signs were normal. The patient was diagnosed with viral gastroenteritis. During his evaluation, the patient admitted to feeling suicidal. While awaiting psychiatry evaluation, the patient's father arrived with a box of small hard red seeds, which he believed that his son ingested in a suicide attempt. The seeds could not be identified by the staff. A picture of the seeds was transmitted by e-mail to the New York City Poison Control Center, allowing their identification as A. precatorius. The patient was reinterviewed and admitted to chewing and swallowing 10 seeds. Given the potential toxicity of abrin, the patient was admitted to the intensive care unit. He continued to have frequent episodes of emesis as well as diarrhea. He gradually improved over 2 days. He admitted to ordering a box of Abrus seeds online from Asia after reading on the Internet about their use in suicide. He was eventually discharged for outpatient follow-up with no permanent sequelae. Conclusion Abrin has an estimated human fatal dose of 0.1-1 μg/kg. Most cases of Abrus seed ingestions are unintentional and occur in children. Ingesting the intact seeds typically results in no clinical findings, as they pass through the gastrointestinal tract due to their hard shell. Abrin released during chewing is poorly absorbed systemically from the gastrointestinal tract. This causes the vomiting and diarrhea with resultant hypovolemia and electrolyte disturbances, which can be severe and life threatening, particularly in areas with less advanced health care systems. Management is primarily supportive.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attempted Suicide, by Mail Order: Abrus precatorius

2010

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“…Purified anti-abrin IgG was obtained from rabbit antisera (Godal et al, 1981) using standard procedures.…”

Section: Abnn and Anti-abnnmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kinetics of uptake and degradation of an abrin immijnotoxin by melanoma cells and studies of the rates of cellular intoxication

Godal

Fodstad

Pihl

1988

Intl Journal of Cancer

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The mechanism of action of an abrin 9.2.27 antimelanoma antibody conjugate has been studied in 2 human melanoma cell lines, FEMX and LOX, which differ in sensitivity to the immunotoxin (IT) and to native abrin. The IT, which had been affinity purified before use to remove molecules with exposed gal-binding sites on the toxin B-chain, inhibited cellular protein synthesis at a faster rate in the LOX than in the FEMX cells despite the fact that the LOX cells express less specific antigen and bind less IT to the cell surface. Surface-bound abrin-IT, as well as surface-bound specific antibody, disappeared at equal rates from the cell surface of the 2 cell lines. After binding of labelled IT the disappearance of total cell-associated radioactivity, as well as the appearance of TCA-precipitable and TCA-soluble radioactivity in the incubation medium, occurred at faster rates in the LOX than in the FEMX cells. No free abrin or antibody B-chain complex could be detected in the medium or inside the cells. The results indicate that the different sensitivities of the melanoma cell lines reflect different abilities to process endocytosed IT and to translocate the active A-chain to the cytosol. Experiments carried out in the presence of lactose are interpreted to mean that the A-chain may be translocated to the cytosol by two mechanisms, one involving antigen-antibody interaction and one involving the B-chain, and that the lectin binding site contributes to the B-chain-facilitated mechanism.

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“…Abrin antibody detection and radioimmunoassay tests have also been used to detect abrin exposure in clinical samples [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. While these tests are sensitive and can provide quantitative results, they require large sample volume, overnight incubation (in the case of radioimmunoassay test), and more invasive procedures to obtain patient samples [2,11].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Case of Abrin Toxin Poisoning, Confirmed via Quantitation of l-Abrine (N-Methyl-l-Tryptophan) Biomarker

et al. 2014

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Introduction The seeds of Abrus precatorius contain the highly toxic plant protein abrin. There is no antidote for abrin poisoning. Management, largely supportive, may consist of administering intravenous fluids, anti-emetics, and activated charcoal depending on the time of exposure. We report the presentation of a single case of unintentional abrin poisoning confirmed by the quantitation of L-abrine biomarker. Case Report A previously healthy 22-month-old, 11.5-kg female presented to the hospital after ingesting approximately 20 rosary peas (A. precatorius) sold as a "peace bracelet". Her primary manifestations were episodes of forceful emesis that included food particles progressing to clear gastric fluid. The patient was tachycardic (HR=134 bpm) but had brisk capillary refill and normal blood pressure (96/60 mmHg). Laboratory testing revealed elevated blood urea nitrogen (16 mg/dL) and serum creatinine (0.4 mg/dL). In the emergency department, the patient was resuscitated with 40 mL/kg normal saline via peripheral IV and received ondansetron (0.15 mg/kg IV) to control retching. The patient was discharged well 24 h after the ingestion. Discussion This is the first case of human abrin toxin poisoning confirmed by the quantitation of L-abrine as a biomarker. Quantifying the levels of abrin toxin in the body after exposure can help clinicians make informed decisions when managing patients with symptomatic exposures to seeds of A. precatorius.

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Radioimmunoassays of abrin and ricin in blood

Cited by 70 publications

References 14 publications

Attempted Suicide, by Mail Order: Abrus precatorius

Attempted Suicide, by Mail Order: Abrus precatorius

Kinetics of uptake and degradation of an abrin immijnotoxin by melanoma cells and studies of the rates of cellular intoxication

A Case of Abrin Toxin Poisoning, Confirmed via Quantitation of l-Abrine (N-Methyl-l-Tryptophan) Biomarker

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