Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) are considered some of the most lethal known substances. There are seven botulinum serotypes, of which types A, B and E cause most human botulism cases. Anti-botulinum polyclonal antibodies (PAbs) are currently used for both detection and treatment of the disease. However, significant improvements in immunoassay specificity and treatment safety may be made using mon...

Canine factor VIII (FVIII) preparations isolated from cryoprecipitates by gel chromatography were pooled to provide one batch of antigen for simultaneous immunization of two rabbits and a goat. The goat and rabbit antisera had similar FVIII-neutralizing titers, but the latter had seven to ten times more precipitating titer for FVIII-related antigen (FVIII-RA). Absorption with material low in FV...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Difficulties in identifying the coexistence of neutralizing anti-factor VIII antibodies (anti-fVIII) and lupus anticoagulant (LA) are mainly due to the interference of LA on anti-fVIII assays. Our aim was to reveal the presence of anti-fVIII using a system that is not affected by LA. DESIGN AND METHODS We developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method ...

BACKGROUND The snake Bothrops atrox is responsible for the majority of envenomings in the northern region of South America. Severe local effects, including hemorrhage, which are mainly caused by snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs), are not fully neutralized by conventional serum therapy. Little is known about the immunochemistry of the P-I SVMPs since few monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against...

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is known as an important cytokine for scar formation in wound healing. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of TGF-beta and its neutralizing antibody on normal skin fibroblasts and scar-derived fibroblasts in culture. Endogenous TGF-beta levels were similar in all fibroblasts. Cell proliferation increased when TGF-beta 1 or b...

AIM To explore the effects and mechanism of vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin) on experimental corneal neovascularization (CRNV). METHODS Mouse corneas were burned with sodium hydroxide to build a CRNV model. The burned corneas were locally administrated with anti-mouse VE-cadherin neutralizing antibody. Annexin V and cluster of differentiation 31 (CD31) double staining was used to m...

The production of immunoglobulin capable of neutralizing the infectivity of a virus represents one of the most remarkable molecular accomplishments of the host's available immune defenses. It should be no surprise that a virus that has existed in the parenchyma of the immune system has evolved as an equally dynamic molecule (i.e., viral envelope) for survival. Neutralizing immunoglobulin (Ig) c...