Bio-Rad Laboratories announces the availability of a reprint of an article that describes research that improves the ability to detect and diagnose Chikungunya fever virus
This research was the result of a study that was funded in part by a grant from Bio-Rad.
Entitled 'Production and characterisation of mouse monoclonal antibodies reactive to Chikungunya envelope E2 glycoprotein', the article appeared in the September 2007 issue of the journal Virology.
Chikungunya virus (Chik) has produced unprecedented outbreaks of Chikungaya fever in India and Indian Ocean region in recent years.
The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes and causes severe muscle pain and joint stiffness.
Clinical symptoms are often misdiagnosed for other arboviral diseases caused by viruses such as Sindbis, since current Elisa and immunodetection assays for the Chik virus are of poor specificity and sensitivity due to the cross-reactivity of the CHIK virus with related members of the Semliki Forest (SF) viruses.
The article describes use of Bio-Rad's ProteOn XPR36 protein interaction array system for the production and characterization of three monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), 3C3, 3E4, and 8A4, which are reactive to Chik E2, an envelope spike glycoprotein.
These mAbs recognise multiple Chik genotypes, but have no cross-reactivity with related arboviruses such as Sindbis and Simliki Forest.
These three monoclonal antibodies may be useful in improving diagnosis of Chik virus infection by making possible the development of a specific and sensitive Chik antigen detection assay.
