J Med Microbiol Email Content Delivery
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Tam, F. C. H.
Right arrow Articles by Lim, P.-L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Tam, F. C. H.
Right arrow Articles by Lim, P.-L.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Tam, F. C. H.
Right arrow Articles by Lim, P.-L.
J Med Microbiol 57 (2008), 1349-1353; DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.2008/002683-0
© 2008 Society for General Microbiology
ISSN 0022-2615

Modification of the TUBEX typhoid test to detect antibodies directly from haemolytic serum and whole blood

Frankie C. H. Tam, Danny T. M. Leung, C. H. Ma and Pak-Leong Lim

Clinical Immunology Unit, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR

Correspondence
Pak-Leong Lim
pllim{at}iggene.com

Received April 15, 2008
Accepted June 18, 2008

The TUBEX test for typhoid fever detects serum antibodies in a simple and rapid assay system based on the inhibition of binding between two types of reagent particles — magnetic particles coated with an antigen (Salmonella O9 LPS) and coloured indicator particles coated with an anti-O9 mAb. A magnet is used to separate the colour indicator particles bound to the magnetic particles from the unbound indicator particles. Specific colour changes following magnetic separation are indicative of antibodies in the patient's serum; however, because results are interpreted based on changes in the colour red, haemolytic or icteric specimens cannot be used. This study describes a simple modification of the protocol to accommodate such specimens, including whole blood. This involves the addition of a quick and simple washing step after mixing the specimen with the antigen-bound magnetic particles. This modification has the advantage of allowing larger sample volumes to be used, thus enhancing the assay sensitivity, and also enables cases considered to be borderline positive by the original method to be re-assessed.

Abbreviations: GBS, glycine-buffered saline.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
INT J SYST EVOL MICROBIOL J MED MICROBIOL MICROBIOLOGY J GEN VIROL ALL SGM JOURNALS
Copyright © 2008 Society for General Microbiology.