Abstract: A rapid, non-invasive, semi-quantitative immunoassay of saliva has been developed to aid in the diagnosis of diseases, e.g., using saliva to detect subjects actively or previously infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a causative organism of tuberculosis. The semi-quantitative assay comprises spotting disease-related antigens on the surface of a solid substrate; contacting the solid substrate with a saliva sample which, in positive subjects, contains primary antibodies to the disease-related antigens; contacting the primary antibodies with a label capable of being detected; and detecting and reading the label whereby exposure to the antigens is determined. The device for conducting these assays is a frame or support which holds a solid substrate capable of immobilizing the antigens of interest while permitting drainage of other materials or fluids away from the immobilized antigens.

Abstract: An assay method and kit for detecting specific oral cariogenic bacteria, ., mutans streptococci, Lactobacillus sp. and Actinomyces sp., separately or in combination, comprising gathering a sample suspected of containing cariogenic bacteria; treating the sample with a stripping buffer to remove host antibodies from bacteria present in the sample; retaining the treated bacteria on a blocked solid phase substrate; reacting the retained bacteria with a primary antibody specific for the desired cariogenic bacteria; reacting the primary antibody with a conjugated label producing a detectable signal; and detecting the signal whereby the presence of the desired cariogenic bacteria is determined in the sample. The device for conducting these assays is a frame or support which holds a solid substrate capable of retaining the bacteria of interest while permitting drainage of other materials or fluids away from the retained bacteria.

Abstract: An assay for detecting microbial protease activity in clinical and laboray samples is described which comprises gathering a sample suspected of containing certain microorganisms having the desired protease activity; immobilizing the microorganisms in the sample on a solid phase substrate; contacting the immobilized microorganisms with an enzymatic substrate producing an enzymatic substrate end-product; contacting the enzymatic substrate end-product with a chemical enhancing reagent producing a detectable chromogenic reaction which varies in intensity with the level of protease activity in the sample; and detecting the chromogenic reaction whereby the semi-quantitative presence of the protease activity in the sample is determined.