SOLID SUPPORT AND ASSEMBLY FOR QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE CHARACTERIZATION OF ANTIGENS

Abstract: A use of a solid support is described which comprises a polymeric material and has at least one activated portion, which has been provided by increasing its exposed surface area, in an immunoassay method for assaying an antigen in a sample. There is also provided an assembly for immunoassays comprising a solid support in the form of a stick having at least one of said activated portion and a panel capable of sliding on the stick and having at least another of said activated portion. The activated portion of the solid support leads to excellent binding characteristics for an antigen to be assayed, thus effecting outstanding immunoassay performance for the quantitative and qualitative characterization of antigens. Samples from the blood as well as secretions and discharges are well suited for the immunoassay. For example, HIV antigens present in the human saliva are readily detected by the support or the assembly disclosed.

Description: SOLID SUPPORT AM) ASSEMBLY FOR QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE CHARACTERIZATION OF ANTIGENS FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention -relates to the use of a solid support, in particular a solid support having an activated portion for antigen binding, for iirαnunoassays, and to an assembly comprising a specific solid support having an activated portion for antigen binding which is particularly adapted for the use in immunoassays. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various immunoassay methods exist in the prior art for the detection of an antigen as an analyte in a sample. Some examples of immunoassay methods which partic larly have become routine laboratory and clinical practice include radioimmunoassay (RIA) , enzyme immunoassay (EIA), particularly as its heterogeneous type called enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and fluoresecence immmunoassay (FIA). For an overview about these immunoassay techniques, see "Laboratory Techniques in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology", R.H. Burdon and P.H. van Knippenberg (eds.), Vol. 6, part 2: "An Introduction to Radioimmunoassay and Related Stainig Techniques", by T. Chard, Elsevier, 1987, and "Enzyme-Mediated Immunoassay", T.T. Ngo and H.M. Lenhoff (eds.), Plenum Press (1985). Any antigen which gives rise to its reaction with an antibody specific for the antigen may be detected by such immunoassays, such as, for example, drugs, hormones, peptides, proteins or other biologically active factors, and microbiological or viral antigens. SUBSTITUTE SHEET An important application of immunoassay methods is the detection of viral antigens, for example the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) . However, the present routine diagnosis of HIV is restricted to the detection of antibodies raised in the humaii body against epitopes of the viral particle, such as the viral envelope proteins P24 or P17. Antibody capture type immunoassays are used for this purpose. Similar immunodiagnostic tools are used for infections of hepatitis B and C and other viruses. However, the presence of specific antibodies in samples from the patient is the result of an immune response to the. infectious agent. Therefore, the onset of antibody production occurs delayed after a socalled "window period" after the actual infection. This period represents a potential risk for passing on the infection, and delays the onset for a possible treatment of the disease. Direct antigen detection which is carried out by Western blot analysis requires sophisticated laboratory equipment and is expensive, and thus is not suitable for routine diagnosis, for example screening of bloodbanks for HIV positive samples. Simple methods to directly detect the viral antigen in the sample are not available so far. In general, the hitherto commonly used immunoassay methods for assaying an antigen are mainly hampered by the fact that they require sophisticated clinical laboratory and skilled personal. Thus, there is a need for a tool for performing immunoassay methods which is cheap and easy to use even for unskilled persons, while maintaining high assay performance such as sensitivity and specifity. In heterogeneous type immunoassys, such as ELISA, solid supports are used. The antigen to be assayed may be bound to the solid support either as a conjugate with a carrier protein, such as bovine serum albumin, or by the prior coating of the solid support with an antigen-specific antibody which will capture the antigen present in a sample. However, these antigen binding procedures represent further steps in performing the immunoassay methods, thus extending the time required for analysis and increasing the risk for potential inaccuracy. Because the ELISA technique is based on measuring the color change caused by the reaction of a dye with the marker enzyme in a solution, it has limited sensitivity. Moreover, because the ELISA technique relies on the detection of light which passes through the stained solution, only optically inert supports can be used to bind the antigen. A "microtiter plate" which is made of transparent polystyrene or polyvinylchloride and which contains a plurality of depressions or wells for taking up samples to be tested is generally used for this purpose. However, binding affinity of the analyte to these solid supports is limited so that the antibody-antigen complex may strip off from the solid support, and, consequently, the signal may be diminished. Furthermore, unspecific binding of the detection components (antibody, enzyme) to the support may occur which results in unspecific reactions. Attempts to increase the sensitivity of the ELISA technique by improving the binding characteristics while maintaining transparency of the solid support are described in the US Patents No. 4,933,410, No. 4,119,589, and No. 4,210,418. The US Patent No. 4,210,418 discloses to coat the support with an inert protein which binds the antigen by adsorpt ' ion, ionic binding, entrapment or, more preferably, covalent binding. To facilitate attachment of the inert protein and enhance adsorption, the surface of the support may be treated with materials, including solvents, surfactants, acids, or bases. Other supports currently used for immunoassay methods include porous membranes made of nitrocellulose, nylon, and similar materials. However, these hydrophilic, porous supports suffer from the drawbacks of spreading the spotted sample and unspecifically binding antibodies and other components of the detection system. Additionally, washing does not efficiently remove these unspecifically bound materials due to its hydrophilic nature. Moreover, this type of support is rather fragile in nature which impedes its handling and increases the SUBSTITUTE SHEET 1 risk for damaging the support. For this reason, this porous type supports are not suitable . in routine pratice for performing immunoassays. 5 . . . It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tool for an easy, fast and sensitive assay of an antigen by immunoassay methods. 0 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This object is accomplished by the use of a solid support comprising a polymeric material and having at least one activated portion, said activated portion being provided by increasing its exposed surface area, in an immunoassay method for assaying an antigen in a sample. In a further embodiment of the present invention, an assembly for performing an immunoassay method for assaying an antigen in a sample is provided which comprises a solid support in the form of a stick having at least one activated portion, said activated portion being provided by increasing its exposed surface area,- and a panel capable of sliding on the stick and having at least one other of said activated portion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a top view of a solid support which can be used'in an immunoassay method according to one aspect of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the solid support ■ illustrated in Fig. 1 taken along the line 2 — 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an assembly comprising a solid support in the shape of a stick which can be used in an immunoassay method according to the present invention. Fig. 3 A shows the support part and the panel part of the assembly, Fig. 3 B shows an enlarged view of the panel part, and Fig. 3 shows a container which can be used for housing the stick. The solid support of the present invention comprises a solid polymeric material which is either transparent or opaque. Preferably, the polymeric material is essentially hydrophobic and non-porous so that the binding of an antigen to be assayed or other reactants which are used in an immunoassay method can be more readily controlled. For example, suitable polymeric materials include polymers and copolymers having styrene, ethylene, propylene, butadiene, chloroprene, vinylchloride, acrylates as monomer units, or being of polyamide, polycarbonate, polyester, polyether, polyepoxide, fluoro- polymer or polymelamine type. Any type of copolymers may be used, such as statistical, - alternating, block, or graft copolymers. Further, blends of polymers or copolymers, for example those as mentioned above, are suitable according to the present invention. Copolymers and polymer blends are preferred, because these may be readily activated by solvents be explained in further detail below. Particularly preferred is the use of a solid support comprising a polymeric material made of a copolymer of styrene and butadiene or styrene and chloroprene, or a polymer blend of polystyrene and polybutadiene or polystyrene and chloroprene. The solid support which is used according to the present invention may comprise further additives conventionally added to polymeric materials, such as dyes, proccessing aids, stabilizers, crosslinking agents, plasticizers, softening agents, fillers, and the like. The solid support which is used according to the present invention has at least one activated portion which is provided by increasing the exposed surface area of the support. In this SUBSTITUTE SHEET way, the support has an improved capacity and affinity for binding antigens, and the resulting bonds have more stability. Preferably, the activated portion of the solid support is provided by treating the surface of the support with one or more solvents. Preferred solvents are those which partially dissolve the polymer matrix on the surface of the support, thereby opening the polymer matrix. In this context, a solvent may dissolve one or more constituents of a copolymer or a polymer blend more likely than one or more other constituents of the copolymer or the polymer blend, respectively. Any solvent or solvent mixture which gives rise to such an effect is suitable. Solvents which may be used for this purpose include ethers, esters, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, acids, bases, olefines, aliphatic (linear and cyclic) hydrocarbones, aromatic hydrocarbones, halogenated hydrocarbones, and similar materials which partially dissolve the polymeric material of the support. When applied to the surface of the support, solvents tend to "roughen" the surface and thereby increase the surface area of the support which is exposed to samples coming in contact with it and which is available for binding. It is believed that the solvents open the polymer matrix at a molecular level. Rigorous treatment with solvents may make the support opaque to the passage of light. Opaque supports may be preferable when the antigen is detected by immunoassay methods by using a precipitating dye as the detection means. However, treatment with solvents ma be controlled to obtain sufficient transparency when light transmission detection systems are intended to be used in an immunoassay method for assaying ' an antigen, such as fluorescence detection systems. The activation treatment by solvents may be carried out by dipping or soaking the support, or at least the portion(s) thereof to be activated, in a solvent for a period of time sufficient to roughen the surface of the support and thereby open the polymer matrix. Alternatively, the solvent may be applied to the support by spraying, painting, or otherwise applying the solvent onto the support. The amount of time required for activation varies depending upon the particular solvent and polymer system being used. For most applications, activation can be accomplished within about 1 minute. Within limits, more prolonged solvent treatments tend to give substrates with enhanced binding characteristics. ■ . Polymeric materials which are particularly preferred for use as solid supports are copolymers or polymer blends having two or more ' different polymer constituents which are differently effected by the activation process. This means that one or more constituents of the polymeric material are more susceptible of being dissolved by the solvent(s) used than the other constituents) of the polymeric material. For example, the solvent acetone quickly dissolves polystyrene, but does not dissolve butadiene or chloroprene as readily. Accordingly, when a copolymer of styrene and butadiene or styrene and chloroprene, or a polymer blend of polystyrene and polybutadiene or polystyrene and polychloroprene is treated with acetone, the polystyrene component is readily dissolved, while the butadiene or chloroprene component is not. Thus, the solid support is roughened on a molecular level in its activated portion(s) thereof, while the non activated portion(s) of the surface as well as inside of the solid support remains homogeneous and non-porous. Table 1 shows a list of some polymeric materials and their solubility properties in different solvents. For a general description of copolymers and their characteristics, the reader is referred to O.W. Webster, "Science", Vol. 251, pp. 887-98 (1991), and F.S. Bates, "Science", Vol. 251, pp. 898-905 (1991), both of which are incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof. SUBSTITUTE SHEET TABLE 1 solubility properties in cold solvents 4) C W -£- polymeric materials +> 0 ) -C +> o ε 1) 1) c o c o N o o -c c c υ rt - 01 a) υ u -π -O ■ d rt polypropylene _/w i/w i/w "i/w 1 iw polybutadiene i/w w iw i i/w hard polyvinyl chloride _ i/w w/s i/w w/s i/w polystyrene w/s s s s s styrene/butadiene-copolymer acryϊonitrile/ " butadiene/ styrene-copolymer i/w w s ε polymethyl methacrylate s s i s s polyamide 6 i i i - i i polyamide amorph i w/s i w/s polyethylene terephthalate polycarbonate w/s polytetrafluoroethylene i polyvinylidene difluorid 1 i polymelamine i i epoxy resin w polyurethane i = insoluble w = capable of swelling s = soluble Alternatively, it is also possible to activate the surface of the activated portion(s) of the support used in the present invention by mechanical means, such as grinding, sanding, and K the like, or by injection molding the support in a mold which has been roughened by sand blasting. The support used according to the present invention may be formed from the polymeric materials by well-known methods, for example, injection molding, compression molding, blow molding, extrusion, and the like, the injection molding being preferred. The solid support may be formed into any shape which is suitable for performing an immunoassay method for assaying an antigen in a sample. Thus, the solid support may be formed to have a shape of a stick, a strip, a rod, a plate, a disk, or the like. Particularly for carrying out immunoassays for many samples at once, the solid support used may have a plurality of activated portions, each activated portion being used for assaying an individual sample. For example, a solid support may be represented by a disk or a plate which segmental parts, each segmental part having an activated portion and a non-activated portion of the solid support. Either one or more of the depressions shown in the Figs. 1, 2 and 3 may be used for receiving the sample to be assayed, while one or more other depressions may be used to immobilize a ■ predetermined amount of antigen as a positive control in an immunoassay method for assaying the respective antigen in a sample. At least one of the depressions may also be used for a blank sample as a negative control. Preferably, the depressions described above which represent the activated portions of the solid support are separated by non- activated portion(s) of the solid support. This may be accomplished, for example, by either chemically or mechanically treating the respective depressions only to form activated portions, while the remainder of the solid support is not treated to be activated, or by activating the whole surface of the solid support, and polishing the upper surface of the solid SUBSTITU support, thereby leaving the depressions in an activated form. This helps to prevent samples from spreading when they are placed on a non-activated portion, and prevents contamination of a sample in one depression by a sample in the neighbouring depression. The depth of the depressions is usually not critical, but may be selected within certain limits depending on the detection system which is used in the immunoassay method for assaying an ' antigen. For example, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the use of gray level scanning in detection may place some limitation on the depth of depressions, since the walls of depressions cast a shadow into the interior of the depressions, thereby interferring with gray level analysis. In . this case, the depression may be kept to an approximately 0.008 inch (0.2 mm) depth or less so that the shadow does not interfer with the detection. Naturally, this concern becomes less significant as the diameter of the depression increases. Likewise, it will be understood that depressions, although being preferred, are not necessary for providing activated portion(s) of the solid support, because the non-activated portion or polished surface of the solid support may form a sufficient barrier for the spreading of the sample which is put onto an activated portion. In this way, samples spread and bind within the activated portion(s) , but tend to coher or bead up on the non-activated portion of the solid support. Figs, l to 3 show examples of solid supports which are very suitable tools for performing immunoassay methods for assaying an antigen according to the present invention. In Figs. 1 and 2, a solid support is shown which is formed into a shape of a substantially flat plate 10 which comprises a plurality of depressions 12 (a total of 96 depressions in this example) so that each sample to be assayed can be physically separated from the others. SUB T -π- Fig. 3 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 3 A, an assembly of a solid support in the form of a stick 30 and a panel 31 is shown. The stick support 30 as well as the panel 31 each have an activated portion 32 a and 32 b, respectively, which are provided by increasing their exposed surface area as described above. The activated portions 32 a and 32 b are formed in the form of depressions, but may also be represented by other forms. The panel 31 is capable of sliding on the stick 30. A groove 33 is formed in the stick 30 which functions to fix the panel by locking into the groove. The locking of the panel into the groove could be accomplished, for example, by a pin provided between the inner surface of the panel and the surface of the stick. The panel 31 is preferably detachable from the support stick 30. When detached from the stick, the panel 31 may be used or processed seperately from the stick. By this measure, the depression 32 b may be placed apart or fixed adjacent to the depression 32 a. Thus, the respective samples embedded in the respective depressions may be treated either individually or together. The stick 30 further comprises an end portion 34 for handling the stick. Additionally, the panel 31 may be provided with a protective layer 35, which is, for example, a plastic sheet or a metal foil. The protective cover is preferably fixed or adhered to the panel, thereby to securely seal and cover the activated portion 32 b of the panel 31. This is further illustrated in the enlarged view of the pane 31 in Fig. 3 B. Fig. 3 B also shows the sliding guide which enables the panel to slide on the stick while ensuring safe attachment of the panel on the stick. Fig. 3 C shows a container 36 which is preferably used in the assembly according to the present invention. The container 36 may be used for storage of the stick 30. The container may contain a fixative, such as paraformaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, or the like, for fixing the sample(s) embedded in the activated portion(s). A similar container may furthermore be useful for SUBSTITUTE SHEET performing incubation reactions in the immunoassay procedure. The stick 30 suitably fits into the container 36, thereby to form a unit with a leak-proof seal together with the self- capping end 34. This solid support as shown in Fig. 3 is especially useful for assaying an antigen in a sample from human saliva or other mucuous secretions. It will be apparent from Fig. 3 that samples from the human saliva may be directly applied to the depression 32a by licking. Thus, the part of the stick which contains the activated portion 32a may represent a tongue panel (oblong well) , while the panel 31 may represent a control panel. Control panel means that it receives a sample of the antigen to be assayed containing a predetermined amount of the antigen (for positive control), or a blank sample containing no antigen (for negative control). For the step of licking, the panel 31 may be placed apart .or detached for not being contaminated. Then, the control panel may be fixed in the groove, and the assembly will be ready for use in the immunoassay. The tongue panel, the stick 30 and the panel 31, or the whole assembly may be sterile prior to its use in immunoassays. It will be understood that the stick and/or the panel of Fig. 3 may have further portions of activated polymeric material. For example, the stick 30 may have further depressions for receiving further samples to be assayed, and the panel 31 may have further depressions for receiving further control or blank samples. For example, panel 31 may have one depression for a positive control and one depression for a negative control. Further, the provisions of the groove 33, the end portion 34, the protective cover 35 on the panel and the container 36 may be omitted from the assembly since these means are not necessaril required for the application of the present invention. The solid support described above may be used according to the present invention in any immunoassay method well known to those skilled the art for assaying an antigen in a sample. The use of the solid support according to the present invention also offers the application of the whole set of amplification detection systems which are used to increase the sensitivity of immunoassay detection systems, such as, for example, the use of first and second antibody reactions, and the use of the biotin/avidine or biotin/streptavidine amplification system. When using enzyme' immunoassays for the detection of an antigen, detection systems resulting in the production of substantially water insoluble dyes are preferred. These water insoluble dyes will precipitate on the surface of the support, where an antigen is present. This allows easy visual evaluation of the assay, or enables automatable detection systems, such as gray level scanning. Suitable enzyme/precipitating dye-systems are well known to those skilled in the art. Preferred precipitating dyes include Naphtol-AS-BI phosphate/new fuchsin (NABPNF) , 3'3- diaminobenzidine, 4-chloro-l-naphtol, 9-amino-9-ethylcarbacol. Of course, it will be understood that other well-known immunoassay methods for detecting antigens may also -be used in the practice of the present invention. For example, it is also possible to use fluorescence immunoassays or radio immunoassays. For radioactive detection methods, autoradiography and scintillation counting may be used for purpose of detection. For scintillation counting, a support carrying immobilized radioactive samples can be dissolved in scintillation fluids, such as xylene, toluene, benzene, or the like. In the practice of the present invention it is preferred that the antigen to be assayed is bound to the activated portion of the solid support in the absence of an emulsifying agent, and that the subsequent steps in the immunoassay method for the detection of the antigen is carried out in the presence of an SUBSTITUTE SHEET 1 emulsifying agent, such as a detergent. This ensures strong binding of the antigen to the solid support, but substantially inhibits binding of the detection reagents of the immunoassay c to the support, thereby reducing background staining. Suitable emulsifying agents include Triton X-100 (octyl phenoxy polyethox ethanol), Tween 20 (polyoxyethylenesorbiton) , SDS (sodium dodecylsulfate), non-ionic, anionic or cationic tensides, borates and soaps. Once the sample has been applied to the activated portion(s) of the solid support in an immunoassay method for assaying an antigen, the sample may be further treated in order to enhance binding to the solid support, or to fix the sample. This may achieved by exposing the support to ultraviolet light, or by treating the support by fixatives. Preferable fixatives are those which introduce chemical crosslinks within the sample and/or the polymer matrix, such as formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, picric acid, and acroleine, or the like. Fixation of the sample may also be desirable when infectious samples are assayed. The solid support described above can be used in an immunoassay method for assaying any -antigen desired. The antigen may be onoepitocic or polyepitocic. Examples of antigens to be detected by suitable immunoassays include peptides, proteins, homones, biogenic amines, nucleic acids, cell surface antigens, biological factors in general, drugs, disease markers, environmental antigens, antigens from microorganisms, such as bacteria, funghi, parasites, and the like. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that antibodies themselves have epitopic binding sites and thus may represent antigens themselves which may be detectable by immunoassay methods. The sample from which the antigen analyte may be assayed by an immunoassay method is not limited. Further, it is a distinct advantage of the use of the solid support described above that the samples may be directly applied to the solid support, if desired. Because the use of the solid support as described above leads to a high sensitivity and low background noise in the immunoassay detection method, no pretreatment of the sample, such as purification, isolation, cultivation of microorganisms, and the like is generally necessary. This will further contribute to effect a fast and easy performance of the immunoassay, while providing important features of immunoassay detection systems of antigens as well, such as sensitivity nd specificity. However, it will be understood, that in special cases a pretreatment of the sample to be assayed may be suitable, such as a fixation step of samples containing infectious agents, or a dilution step of the sample, if the solid support is saturated with the sample components. The enormous binding capacity and affinity of the solid support for the whole variety of antigen classes, such as those as mentioned above, based on the strong hydrophobic interactions of the respective antigenic component with the surface of the support will result in a very strong binding or immobilization of the antigen for the whole immunoassay procedure. Thus, stringent conditions may be applied in the steps of the immunoassay method, for example in the washing steps, for further contributing to specific signals and reducing background noise. Although not necessary for the practice of the present invention, free binding sites of the support after the application of the sample may be saturated, for example by known blocking agents, such as bovine serum albumin (BSA) poly- L-lysin, glycine, and the like. Preferably, all steps of the immunoassay method after the application of the sample onto the solid support are carried out in the presence of an emulsifying agent as explained above, in order to further reduce unspecific binding of the detection SUBSTITUTE SHEET components of the immunoassay to the solid support, and thereby reduce background staining. In particular in view of rapid screening tests of large groups of people for an antigenic marker, especially in developmental countries, or for screening blood banks, the sample may preferably derive from human blood serum. Samples derived from the blood serum are particularly useful for a quantitative, characterization of the antigen to be assayed, if quantitative analysis is desired. A support type as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is particular suuitable for such purpose. Other very suitable sources, from which the samples for the immunoassays may be derived, are samples from secretions or discharges of the human body, particularly mucuous secretions, such as saliva, vaginal ' or prostate secretions, and lacrimal fluid. The samples derived from secretions or discharges, in particular samples derived from the saliva, are preferably used for the qualitative characterization of the antigen to be assayed. The assembly and support as shown in Fig. 3 is especially well suited for the qualitative test of antigens present in the human saliva as explained in further detail above. Of course, the samples may also be of animal origin. The use of the solid support according to the present invention is especially suitable for the detection of viral antigens. The diagnosis of viral infections is particularly amenable to routine testing, particularly since saliva samples may be directly used according to the present invention. This is because antigenic materials from some human viruses do also occur, besides other body fluids and tissues, in the human saliva. This is the case, for example, for the hepatitis type viruses, such as hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV), the human papilloma viruses (HPV) , the Epstein Barr virus (EBV) , the cytomegalo virus (CMV) and, most interestingly, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) . SUBSTITUTE The following specific examples are illustrative of the use of a solid support according to the present invention and are provided solely to illustrate some of the ways the invention may be practiced. Example 1 Detection of viral antigen (HIV) from human saliva Small strips of a polymer support made of an injection molded polymer blend of polystyrene and polybutadiene and activated by the treatment with xylene was used in an immunoassay for the presence of the HIV antigen P17 in the human saliva. An individual, known to be seropositive for HIV by conventional blood testing, had been licking an activated portion of the strip in a state of an empty stomach. In another activated portion of the solid support, pure HIV surface protein P17 had been immobilized on the solid support as a positive control. The solid support was incubated with a monoclonal antibody against P17, diluted 1:500 in a solution of 0.1 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.2 with 0.9 % NaCl and 1 % Triton X-100 (PBST buffer), for 4 hours at room temperature. Then the strip was washed with PBST buffer, and subsequently treated with peroxidase-conjugated anti-mouse IgG, diluted 1:100 in PBST buffer. Finally, the samples where stained by tr-eating the strip with a solution of 12 mg diaminobenzidene in 100 ml PBST containing 0.03 % H 2 0 2 for 3 minutes. The assay as well as the positive control sample showed a positive signal, represented as a brown spot on the Otherwise white strip. Comparative example 1 The immunoassay for HIV P17 antigen in human saliva as described in example 1 was repeated, except that a sample from the saliva of a healthy proband known to be. seronegative for HIV by conventional HIV testing was applied to the activated portion of the strip. SUBSTITUTE SHEET The activated portion of the solid support where the sample was immobilized remained white after the staining reaction. Example 2 Diagnosis of HIV infection from human blood serum samples. A polymeric support made of a polymer blend of polystyrene and polychloroprene and being shaped as a plate having a total of 96 depressions was used in an immunoassay method to detect HIV surface antigen P24 in human serum samples. A retrospective analysis was applied comprising serum samples from individuals known to be seropositive for HIV infection by conventional testing, as well as serum samples from individuals which were shown to be seronegative at the time of collecting the sample, but which were found to become seropositive and aquire AIDS at a later stage. A dilution series of P24 served as a standard. Binding of the samples was effected within 10 minutes. Then the samples were washed in phosphate buffered saline pH 7.2 containing 0.9 % NaCl and 2 % Triton X-100 (PBST buffer). Thereafter, the plate was treated with a monoclonal antibody against P24, diluted 1:500 in PBST buffer, for 4 hours, and was subsequently washed in PBST buffer. Then, the samples were reacted with a secondary antibody, directed against the species of the first antibody (anti-mouse IgG) and labelled with peroxidase, diluted 1:100 in PBST buffer, for 30 minutes at room temperature. After washing in PBST buffer, the samples were stained by treating the solid support with a solution of 12 mg diaminobenzidine in 100 ml PBST buffer containing 0.3 % H 2 O 2 for 3 minutes. The samples were finally evaluated either qualitatively on the basis of visual observation by eye, or quantitatively by a conventional gray level scanning detection system. Each seropositive sample, but also those seronegative samples which derived from individuals aquiring AIDS at a later stage were shown to have positive signals which were detected as brown precipitates either by visual observation or by gray level scanning. The standard curve of the dilution series of P24 was used for quantification. The depressions of the solid support plate which were embedded with negative samples remained white with no background staining. Example 3 Detection of hepatitis C antigen from human serum samples A solid support was used for an immunoassay of hepatitis C virus from human serum samples similar to example 2. A hepatitis C specific antibody was used to react with the hepatitis C antigen at a dilution of 1:500 in PBST buffer-, and a synthetic reference antigen in a dilution series was. used to obtain a standard curve. Again, positive samples were readily detected by brown precipitates, whereas negative samples showed no background staining. As will be appearent from the examples above, the use of the solid support according to the present invention allows the application of immunoassays which involve inexpensive detection systems and are easy to perform. These properties are prerequisites for rapid techniques in screening an antigen in a large number of samples, and also opens possibilities for an application in development countries and as self-made tests for unskilled persons. The characteristics of the solid support used ensures high detection sensitivity for the immunoassays. Most remarkably, the use of the solid support according to the present invention enables the reliable detection of viral antigens even in the window period, in which conventionally applied routine diagnostic systems, which are based on the immune response of the virus infected person, gives only negative results. SUBSTITUTE SHEET

Claims: Claims 1. A use of a solid support comprising a polymeric material and having at least one activated portion, said activated portion being provided by increasing its exposed surface area, in an immunoassay method for assaying an antigen in a sample. 2. The use according to claim 1, characterized in that the polymeric material is a copolymer or a polymer blend. 3. The use according to claim 2, characterized in that the polymeric material is a coplymer of styrene and butadiene or styrene and chloroprene, or a polymer blend of polystyrene and polybutadiene or polystyrene and polychloroprene. ' 4. The use according to any of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said portion of the support has been activated by a solvent. 5. The use according to claim 4, characterized in that said solvent is selected from the group consisting of ethers, esters, alcohols, ketones, aledehydes, acids, bases, olefins, aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, and halogenated hydrocarbons. 6. The use according to any of the claim 1 to 5, characterized in that the solid support further has at least one non- activated portion, said activated portion and said non- activated portion forming segmental parts of the solid support. 7. he use according to any of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the solid support has a shape of a stick, a plate or a disk. 8. The use according to any of the claims 1 to 7, charaterized in that the solid support has activated portions in the form of depressions. 9. The use according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said antigen is a viral antigen. SUBSTITUTE SHEET 1 10. The use according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said sample is human or animal blood serum. 5 11. The use according to any of the claims 1 to 9, characterized in that said sample is a sample from secretions or discharges of the human or animal body. 12. The use according to claim 11, characterized in that said 10 secretions are saliva, vaginal or prostate secretions, or lacri al fluid. 13. The use according to any of the claims 10 to 12, characterized in that said samples are directly applied to the solid support, lb 14. An assembly for performing an immunoassay method for assaying an antigen in a sample, comprising: a solid support in the form of a stick having at least one activated portion, said activated portion being 0 provided by increasing its exposed surface area, and a panel capable of sliding on the stick and having at least another of said activated portion. 15. The assembly according to claim 14, characterized in that 5 the stick comprises a groove to fix said panel. 16. The assembly according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that said panel is detachable from said support. 17. The assembly according to any of the claims 14 to 16, 0 characterized in that the panel is covered by a film. 18. The assembly according to any of the claims 14 to 17, characterized in further comprising a container for housing the stick. 5 19. The assembly according to claim 18, characterized in that said container contains a fixative for sample fixation. SUBSTITUTE SHEET _ - AMENDED CLAIMS Lreceived by the International Bureau on 22 March 1993 C22.03.93); original claim 2 cancelled; original claim 1 amended; claims 3-19 unchanged but renumbered as claims 2-18 (2 pages)! 1. A use of a solid support comprising a polymeric material 5 and having at least one activated portion, said polymeric material being a copolymer or a polymer blend having two or more different polymer constituents which are differently affected by an activation process which provides said activated portion with an increased exposed surface area, in an ^ immunoassay method for assaying an antigen in a sample. 2. The use according to claim 1, characterized in that the polymeric material is a coplymer of styrene and butadiene or styrene and chloroprene, or a polymer blend of polystyrene and 5 polybutadiene or polystyrene and polychloroprene. 3. The use according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said portion of the support has been activated by a solvent. 4. The use according to claim 3, characterized in that said 0 solvent is selected from the group consisting of ethers, esters, alcohols, ketones, aledehydes, acids, bases, olefins, aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, and halogenated hydrocarbons. 5 5. The use according to any of the claims l to 4, characterized in that the solid support further has at least one non-activated portion, said activated portion and said non- activated portion forming- segmental parts of the solid support. 6. The use according to any of the claims l to 5, 0 characterized in that the solid support has a shape of a stick, a plate or a disk. 7. The use according to any of the claims l to 6, characterized in that the solid support has activated portions in the form of depressions. 8. The use according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said antigen is a viral antigen. 9. The use according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said sample is human or animal blood serum. 10. The use according to any of the claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said sample is a sample from secretions or discharges of the human or animal body. 11. The use according to claim 10, characterized in that said secretions are saliva, vaginal or prostate secretions, or lacrimal fluid. 12. The use according to any of the claims 9 to 11, characterized in that said samples are directly applied to the solid support. 13. An assembly for performing an immunoassay method for assaying an antigen in a sample, comprising: a solid support in the form of a stick having at least one activated portion, said activated portion being provided by increasing its exposed surface area, and a panel capable of sliding on the stick and having at least another of said activated portion. 14. The assembly according to claim 13, characterized in that the stick comprises a groove to fix said panel. 15. The assembly according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that said panel is detachable from said support. 16. The assembly according to any of the claims 13 to 15, characterized in that the panel is covered by a film. 17. The assembly according to any of the claims 13 to 16, characterized in further comprising a container for housing the stick. 18. The assembly according to claim 17, characterized in that said container contains a fixative for sample fixation.

Inventors: JIRIKOWSKI GUSTAV F, PINTO STEVEN, WEISSMANN ARTHUR, WEISSMANN IRVING, JIRIKOWSKI, GUSTAV, F., PINTO, STEVEN, WEISSMANN, ARTHUR, WEISSMANN, IRVING
Applicants: CYTECH BIOMEDICAL INC, JIRIKOWSKI GUSTAV F, PINTO STEVEN, WEISSMANN ARTHUR, WEISSMANN IRVING, CYTECH BIOMEDICALS INC., JIRIKOWSKI, GUSTAV, F., PINTO, STEVEN, WEISSMANN, ARTHUR, WEISSMANN, IRVING
Application year: 1992
Main classification: G01N33
IPC codes: G01N33, G01N37