ALTEX :: Alternatives to Animal Experiments

1996, Supplement

Egg Yolk Antibodies (IgY) in Routine Diagnostic Work

Christian Staak

Federal Institut for Consumers Health Protection and Veterinary Medicine (BgVV), D-Berlin

SUMMARY

According to Linscott's Directory of Immunological and Biological Reagents (1994/95) the commercial availability of egg-yolk antibodies (IgY) is extremely low.

For preparation, cleaning and detection of IgY it would be of advantage to have a "Protein Y" available analogous to protein A and protein G for mammalian antibodies. Until now, the search for "Protein Y" was unsuccessful.

IgY has been used for routine diagnostic work covering the following subjects:

  1. Identification of the host species from abdominal blood of haematophageous insects;
  2. IgY-anti-horse-Ig-PO conjugate for ELISA on dourine;
  3. FITC-conjugated IgY-antirabies for diagnostic work on rabies;
  4. FITC-conjugated IgY against avian virus diseases (Newcastle dis., Infectious bronchitis, Gumboro). In all cases satisfactory results have been achieved.

Keywords: IgY, commercial availability, "Protein Y", routine diagnostic work