Patent ID: 7723062

Claim:
A method of detecting antibodies or antigen-binding fragments of antibodies that specifically bind a Wolbachia polypeptide comprising: (a) contacting purified polypeptides, wherein the purified polypeptides are: (i) one or more amino acid sequences consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, and SEQ ID NO:3 or (ii) polypeptides comprising an isolated polypeptide consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, or SEQ ID NO:3 and one or more further polypeptides that are not Wolbachia surface protein polypeptides with a test sample suspected of comprising antibodies specific for Wolbachia under conditions that allow purified polypeptide/antibody complexes to form; and (b) detecting purified polypeptide/antibody complexes; wherein the detection of purified polypeptide/antibody complexes is an indication that antibodies specific for Wolbachia are present in the test sample.