Patent ID: 7368277

Claim:
A method for suppressing a non-specific reaction in an immunoassay used to detect a target antibody in a urine sample, comprising: (A) applying a solution to a solid support having an assay antigen immobilized thereon, but not having E. coli derived substances immobilized thereon, wherein said solution comprises: (i) a urine sample comprising (a) a non-specific antibody component, and (b) a target antibody; and (ii) an E. coli component; wherein said assay antigen is selected from the group consisting of a pathogen, an inactivated pathogen and an antigen extracted from a pathogen; wherein said pathogen is a human or animal pathogen; and wherein said pathogen is not E. coli ; and (B) detecting binding of said target antibody to said assay antigen with a labeled secondary antibody that binds to said target antibody, whereby said E. coli component suppresses a non-specific reaction between said non-specific antibody component and said labeled secondary antibody.