Open AccessPersistence of specific antigenic protein in the serum of chickens given intravenously botulinum toxin type B, C, D, E or F
Author(s) -
Sakaguchi Genji,
Sakaguchi Sumiko,
Kurazono Hisao,
Kamata Yoichi,
Kozaki Shunji
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1987.tb02172.x
Subject(s) - toxin , botulism , clostridium botulinum , microbiology and biotechnology , antigen , biology , toxicity , persistence (discontinuity) , botulinum toxin , antibody , immunology , medicine , geotechnical engineering , engineering , neuroscience
A sublethal dose of Clostridium botulinum progenitor toxin of each of types B, C, D, E, and F was injected once intravenously into chickens. Blood samples were withdrawn periodically from the chickens to determine the toxin remaining in the serum by the mouse injection test and by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for both toxic and nontoxic components composing the progenitor toxin. Both components were detected by ELISA for at least a few days after the serum had became innocuous to mice, indicating a higher stability of the antigenicities of both components than the lethal toxicity in the chicken serum. For the diagnosis of botulism, it seems justified to recommend detection of the antigen (toxic component or nontoxic component or both) by ELISA even if no toxin is detected by the mouse test. Such immunological tests would no doubt contribute to an increase in the rate of diagnosis of human and animal botulism cases, particularly when blood sampling is delayed.