HTLV I&II Ab
Third generation Enzyme Immuno Assay (ELISA) for the determination of antibodies to Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus type I&II or HTLV I&II Ab. The kit may be used for the screening of blood units and the follow-up of HTLV I&IIinfected patients.
HTLV I&II are retroviruses not related genetically to HIV1&2; however, they have similar routes of transmission and can have extremely long period of latency prior to manifestation of disease. HTLV I is endemic in southern Japan, the Caribbean and the US and many other scattered population trough the world. HTLV II is endemic in some native American populations but is detected mostly in intravenous drug users and their sexual partners. HTLV I&II are transmitted transplacentally, parenterally, by sexual contacts and by infected blood. ELISA has been applied to the diagnosis of HTLV I&II serology by detecting specific antibodies in plasma and sera.
Microplates are coated with HTLV I&II-specific peptides (gp46-I, gp46-II and p21-I). The solid phase is first treated with the diluted sample and anti HTLV I&II Ab are captured, if present, by the antigens coated on the microplate. After washing out all the other components of the sample, in the 2nd incubation bound anti HTLV I&II antibodies, IgG and IgM as well, are detected by the addition of polyclonal specific anti hIgG&M antibodies, labelled with peroxidase (HRP). The enzyme captured on the solid phase, acting on the substrate/chromogen mixture, generates an optical signal that is proportional to the amount of anti HTLV I&II antibodies present in the sample. A cut-off value let optical densities be interpreted into anti HTLV I&II antibody negative and positive results.
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