M.H. Hambling

HEPATITIS C VIRUS ANTIBODY

The present invention relates to polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies which selectively bind to antigens associated with hepatitis C viral particles or HCV aggregated antigens isolated from infected patients and to processes which may be used to isolate hepatitis C virus from infected patients including a procedure by which HCV is partially purified. The use of these antibodies in diagnostic immunological assays is also described.

Preliminary report: Accurate assays for anti-HIV in urine

Untreated urine specimens from 358 patients (344 attending genito-urinary medicine clinics, 14 haemophiliacs) and 353 blood donors were tested blind by a simple IgG-capture particle-adherence test (GACPAT) and a rapid IgG-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (GACELISA) for antibody to human immunodeficiency virus (anti-HIV). All 158 urine specimens from seropositive subjects were anti-HIV positive by GACPAT and 157 of them (99.4%) were positive by GACELISA. Tests on 553 urine specimens from seronegative subjects gave two repeatable false-positive reactions by GACPAT (0.4%) and none by GACELISA. By means of a modified procedure anti-gp160 was detected by commercial western blot in the urine of 44 of 45 seropositive subjects examined. IgG-capture assays will detect anti-HIV in unconcentrated urine and so allow a diagnosis in circumstances when blood sampling is impracticable.

Effect of a vaccination programme on the distribution of rubella antibodies in women of childbearing age.

Results of routine rubella hemagglutination-inhibiting antibody tests on 39,005 serum samples showed that 9-5% of women of childbearing age in the Leeds region were seronegative, and a further 9-2% had low antibody titres of 1/8 or 1/16. Since routine rubella vaccination of schoolgirls began in 1970 the frequency of seronegative women in the fifteen to nineteen year age group has fallen by 5-7%. Clinical rubella was confirmed serologically in 140 women, 58 of whom were pregnant. 30 of these pregnancies were terminated, 2 resulted in spontaneous abortions, and 26 proceeded to term. One infant had congenital rubella.