DNA aptamers, oligonucleotides with antibody-like binding properties, are easy to manufacture and modify. As a class of molecules, they represent the biggest revolution to immunodiagnostics since the discovery of monoclonal antibodies. To demonstrate that DNA aptamers are versatile reagents for use as in vitro diagnostic tools, we developed a hybrid immunobead assay based on a 5′-biotinylated D...

Imprints of choroidal malignant melanoma cells were treated with serum containing antibodies to a purified preparation of actin derived from skeletal muscle. Evidence of a positive reaction, as shown by indirect immunofluorescence, substantiated an impression based on morphological criteria that choroidal melanoma cells contain actin protein. The significance of this protein in tumour biology i...

This review of internal parasitic diseases discusses methods of immune diagnosis, immune mechanisms of the host, and immunoprophylaxis against both protozoan and metazoan parasites of livestock. The limiting factors for immunodiagnosis are specificity and whether the host animals respond sufficiently to produce detectable serological responses. Because the array of antigens is so complex, the m...

The aim of this study was to find novel proteins expressed from an Angiostrongylus cantonensis adult female worm cDNA library for serodiagnosis of angiostrongyliasis. An immuno-dominant clone, fAC22, was identified by immunoscreening with pooled positive sera from proven angiostrongyliasis patients. The clone contained an open reading frame of 2,136 bp encoding a 80.5 kDa protein with a predict...

Recently a new panel of monoclonal antibodies was developed against soluble egg antigens in the hatching fluid of Schistosoma mansoni. These antibodies have been used to develop an improved ELISA for the detection of circulating soluble egg antigens in serum and urine that would have a higher sensitivity in the immunodiagnosis of S. mansoni infections. Although these antibodies showed no improv...

Introduction Fish in culture are susceptible to a wide range of bacterial, viral, parasitic and fungal infections (Austin & Austin, 1993) and losses through disease currently make a significant impact on the quality and volume of fish produced in Europe. Disease control is therefore a vital component of successful aquaculture. Rapid detection and identification of pathogens is necessary for eff...