Abstract: This invention provides a method as well as a kit for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. The method comprises the steps of obtaining a non-neural tissue biopsy sample, contacting at least a portion of the sample with a quantity of antibodies capable of identifying .beta.AP, a .beta.-amyloid precursor protein fragment comprising .beta.AP, or a .beta.AP peptide fragment of about 8 or more amino acids sufficient to allow detection of said protein, protein fragment or peptide fragment, and monitoring the extent of the reaction between the sample and the antibodies. The kit comprises antibodies specific for .beta.-amyloid protein, or a .beta.-amyloid precursor protein fragment comprising .beta.-amyloid protein, or a peptide fragment of .beta.-amyloid protein of at least about eight amino acids, and a means for detecting the extent of the reaction of the antibodies with a non-neural tissue sample.

Abstract: The present invention provides ligand/anti-ligand assays for detecting and/or measuring adherent proteins, including lipophilic serum or plasma proteins, such as serum amyloid A (SAA) and apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1); cytokines such as IL-1 beta, IL-6, and TNF alpha; pentraxins, such as CRP; and globular serum or plasma proteins such as albumin.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the stabilization of enzyme-labeled anti-human interferon-.beta. antibody for use in an enzyme immunoassay of human interferon-.beta. and provides a freeze-dried composition containing an anti-human interferon-.beta. antibody which has been freeze-dried in the presence of trehalose as a nonreducing disaccharide. The freeze-dried composition according to the present invention whose reduction in enzymatic activity remains minimized even when stored for a long period of time is conveniently incorporated into an EIA kit. No conventional non-volatile buffer solution such as a phosphate buffer solution is added to the original freeze-dried liquid of the present invention.

Abstract: Specific binding methods are used for diagnostic assays and purification separations whereby the specific binding capture reagent is prepared from copolymers having highly reactive carboxy groups. These groups are extended from the polymer surface with a linking group having from 8 to 50 atoms in the chain and two or more alkylene, arylene, alkylenearylene or arylenealkylene groups. To these reactive groups is attached a biologically active substance such as a protein or oligonucleotide which then participates in the diagnostic assays or purification separation methods.

Abstract: Analytes, having a characteristic determinant that selectively interacts with a specific binding substance, are determined by coupling a reporter substance to the analyte, or to the specific binding substance, causing complex formation between the analyte and the specific binding substance in a test medium, separating the complexes thus formed from the test medium, and determining the presence or quantity of the analyte of interest by detecting the occurrence of the reporter substance in the complexes or the separated test medium. The determination is preferably performed on biomembrane-containing entities, such as cell subpopulations and/or subsets thereof, the reporter substance being stably associated with the lipid component of the biomembrane. Reagents and test kits are disclosed for performing the analyte determination.

Abstract: Disclosed are immunofluorescence staining methods which increase the likelihood that antibodies expressed by a single B cell selected and sorted by fluorescence activated cell sorting are specific for the antigen of interest, and which also allow selection of B cells expressing antibodies of high affinity for the antigen of interest. The antigen-specific single B cells are to be used in a procedure which amplifies and selects their V.sub.H and V.sub.L sequences. The selection for B cells expressing antibodies to specific antigens is increased by labeling B cells with at least two antigen probes, where each antigen probe includes the antigen of interest and the difference between the two probes is that each is labeled with a different fluorochrome. The positive selection achieved using antigen probes with two different colors is preferably combined with a negative selection step, in which autofluorescent cells and sticky cells exhibiting fluorescence for the third irrelevant surface marker are excluded out.

Abstract: A buffered composition containing a nonionic or anionic surfactant, and a certain amount of a hydroxamic acid (or salt thereof) or an acyl hydrazine can be used as a wash composition in specific binding assays. Such assays include the use of a peroxidase labeled specific binding reactant to form a detectable peroxidase-labeled specific binding complex. The buffered composition and labeled reactant can be supplied in a diagnostic test kit. The hydroxamic acid or acyl hydrazine can be represented by the structure(I):R--CO--NH--R'wherein R is aryl or 6 to 10 carbon atoms in the aromatic nucleus, alkyl of 1 to 7 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl of 5 to 10 carbon atoms in the ring, or heterocyclyl of 5 to 10 atoms in the ring, at least one of which is an oxygen, nitrogen or sulfur atom, and R' is hydroxy or amino.

Abstract: A multilayer diagnostic assay element wherein glyoxyl agarose, an aldehyde group - derivatized agarose, is utilized in one or more layers of the element. In a preferred embodiment the glyoxyl agarose is used to immobilize biological species such as a protein in a layer of the element.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the determination of the activity of chymotrypsin or trypsin in feces by measurement of the rate of fission of an appropriate substrate by a fecal suspension in an aqueous or aqueous-organic medium, wherein a fecal sample is suspended in the presence of a surface-active agent.The present invention also provides a reagent for carrying out this process, comprising a surface-active agent, an enzyme substrate and an aqueous salt solution, said reagent having a pH value of from 7 to 11.

Abstract: A method for the rapid identification and differentiation of HSV-1 and/or HSV-2 with fluorescein-conjugated Helix pomatia lectin. Clinical specimens are processed, with centrifugation, in pre-prepared shell vials of cell culture, with subsequent supplementation and 20 hour incubation (approximately) at 37.degree. C. Coverslips of the shell vials are then fixed, air dried, overlaid with fluorescein-conjugated Helix pomatia lectin, washed, dried, mounted and examined under a microscope equipped with an ultraviolet light source. The identification of fluorescence confirms herpes virus infection. Granular fluorescent patterns confirm presence of HSV-2 serotype and diffuse fluorescent patterns confirm presence of HSV-1 serotype.

Abstract: A stabilized prolactin calibrator is disclosed. The calibrator has a pH from about 5.5 to about 9.0, and contains prolactin in a 0.01 M to 0.2 M matrix of tris-(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane which additionally contains about 0.3 to 4 percent of bovine serum albumin, about 0.05 to 0.2 percent of sodium azide and from about 0.01 to about 0.2 mole/liter NaCl.

Abstract: Indirect method of detecting elastase-modified or cleaved, antithrombin (ATx) in the presence of intact antithrombin (AT-III). The inventive method includes a modified ELISA using a detergent to alter the intact AT-III. Cleaved AT-III is generated in human plasma, then an ELISA is performed in the presence of a detergent.

Abstract: A liposome reagent encapsulating a molecule to be targeted to a body site or used as an assay reporter has a ligand and a sulfonate-containing group on the liposome surface. Preferred ligands are antibodies or antibody fragments and preferred encapsulants are enzymes or dyes. In the most preferred reagents, the antibody and sulfonate-containing group are covalently bonded to the liposome surface through a connecting group which includes a succinimidyl group resulting from addition of the ligand or sulfonate-containing group to a maleimidyl group. The invention includes a kit of materials for performing an assay using the reagent of the invention as the tracer.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for the determination of a partner in an immunological reaction based on an immunoassay in which one of the reaction partners is present in a solid phase, wherein a polyethylene oxidepolypropylene oxide block copolymer having the formula I ##STR1## is used as the surface-active agent in which a can have a value between 40 and 150 and b a value between 10 and 50, which is characterized in that a hydrophilic block copolymer composition having the formula I is used which in a 1 % aqueous solution (weight/volume) has a surface tension of at least 45 mN/m and in which the average molar ratio of ethylene oxide groups to propylene oxide groups (2a/b) in the composition is at least 5.8. In addition the invention comprises a reagent for carrying out the above method.

Abstract: An aqueous wash composition has been found useful in methods for determination of specific binding ligands. The composition is buffered to a pH of less than or equal to 6 or greater than or equal to 9. It also includes as its essential component at least about 0.1 weight percent of an anionic surfactant which is represented by the formula:[A-SO.sub.3+y ].sup.-(1+y) [X.sup.+m ].sub.nwherein A is a hydrocarbon having a molecular weight of at least about 180, X.sup.+m is hydrogen or a monovalent or divalent cation, m is 1 or 2, y is 0 or 1, and n is 1 or 2 provided that m and n are not both 2. Optionally and preferably, the wash composition also includes a nonimmunoreactive protein. This wash composition is particularly useful in methods for determination of microorganisms associated with periodontal diseases. Such methods can be of a variety of formats, but immunometric assays are particularly useful. The wash composition can be included as part of a diagnostic test kit.

Abstract: An Fc receptor protein conjugated with Ferritin binds to an exposed Fc region of an antibody to form a cell/Ferritin complex. Magnetic particles are added to the medium and bind to the complex. The magnetic particles when bound to the complex significantly enhance the magnetic field gradient of the complex such that it may be separated magnetically from the medium.

Abstract: A set of three unique monoclonal antibodies have been produced which recognize Legionella with particular specificity, without substantial cross-reactivity with non-Legionella bacteria. These monoclonal antibodies are useful as immunodiagnostic reagents for detecting Legionella.

Abstract: This invention provides (a) novel hybridoma cell lines which produce a monoclonal idiotypic antibody designated 1030.2.3.1 that binds an antigenic determinant present on FIPV but absent on FeCV; and (b) monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies designated 2814.6 and 2848.6 that mimic epitopes of this FIPV specific determinant.Assay procedures and kits for use in such procedures to distinguish between FIPV and FeCV are described.

Abstract: The objective of the present invention is a method for determining two or more radioactively labeled ligands simultaneously in the same sample. According to the invention the ligands are determined with proximity assay so that for determining said ligands support materials with different scintillation characteristics are employed, each said support material having attached onto it molecules specifically binding one of said ligands. The support material consists totally or partially of scintillator.

Abstract: A monoclonal antibody, specific for N. gonorrhoeae, specifically binds to a protein which is obtained from N. gonorrhoeae, which has a molecular weight of about 14 kD as determined by SDS-PAGE and which specifically binds to antibody secreted by hybridoma NG 28 (ECACC 89 07 19 01).