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Improved Sensitivity of Detection by Avidin—Biotin Complex (ABC) Immunocytochemistry in Epstein‐Barr Virus Serology
Author(s) -
Se Thoe S. Y.,
Sam C. K.,
Cheng H. M.,
Prasad U.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.1890290417
Subject(s) - iif , antigen , antibody , biotinylation , serology , virology , virus , immunofluorescence , biology , epstein–barr virus , immunoglobulin a , nasopharyngeal carcinoma , microbiology and biotechnology , immunoglobulin g , immunology , indirect immunofluorescence , medicine , radiation therapy
Serum antibodies against Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV)‐determined antigens have traditionally been titrated by the indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) technique. The avidin—biotin complex (ABC) immunocytochemical technique was used to determine the serum levels of IgA against EBV viral capsid antigen (IgA/VCA) and IgA against EBV early antigen (IgA/EA) in sera of 106 nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients prior to treatment and 100 normal individuals. The sensitivity of the ABC technique is enhanced by an amplification of the antigen—antibody reaction, which involves the binding of the enzyme‐linked ABC to the second biotinylated antibody. There was a good correlation (r = 0.9988) between ABC and IIF‐determined IgA/VCA‐positive titres, with the ABC technique being more sensitive than IIF in the detection of IgA/VCA in NPC sera: 94% (99/106) and 76% (80/106), respectively. The frequency of IgA/EA reactivity in NPC sera was also markedly increased by immunodetection with the ABC technique as compared with IIF technique: 63% (69/106) and 28% (30/106) respectively. Both the immunocytochemical techniques were equally specific in discriminating between elevated serum titres of IgA/VCA and IgA/EA in NPC sera from normal human sera.