Antibodies specific to antigens of Bartonella henselae and use of these antigens in immunoassays

Abstract

Disclosed are antibodies that bind to the antigenic proteins GroES, RplL, GroEL, SodB, UbiG, the ABC transporter, and an expressed antigenic protein of unknown function (the “BepA” protein) of Bartonella henselae , and use of these antigenic proteins in immunoassays in order to determine whether a sample from a subject contains one or more of these antibodies. Presence of such an antibody in the subject indicates that the subject is or was infected with Bartonella henselae , or indicates that the subject has an increased likelihood of being infected presently or in the past with Bartonella henselae . Also disclosed are kits for performing immunoassays, wherein each kit contains one or more of these antigenic proteins and also contains the reagents necessary for conducting an immunoassay.

1 . An isolated antibody capable of binding to an antigen, wherein the antigen consists of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, or SEQ ID NO:18.  
     
     
         2 . The antibody of  claim 1  being human.  
     
     
         3 . The antibody of  claim 1  being polyclonal.  
     
     
         4 . A kit containing (a) an isolated antigen comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, or SEQ ID NO 18 and (b) the reagents necessary for conducting an immunoassay, wherein the immunoassay is capable of detecting the presence of an antibody in a sample, and wherein the antibody is capable of binding to an antigen consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, or SEQ ID NO:18.  
     
     
         5 . The kit of  claim 4 , wherein the immunoassay is an IFA.  
     
     
         6 . The kit of  claim 4 , wherein the immunoassay is an ELISA.  
     
     
         7 . The kit of  claim 4 , wherein the isolated antigen in (a) consists of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, or SEQ ID NO:18.  
     
     
         8 . A method for determining whether a subject contains an antibody capable of binding to an antigen consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, or SEQ ID NO:18 comprising: 
 (a) conducting an immunoassay on a sample from the subject, and    (b) determining that the subject contains the antibody if the results of the immunoassay indicate that the antibody is present in the sample, or determining that the subject does not contain the antibody if the results of the immunoassay indicate that the antibody is not present in the sample.    
     
     
         9 . The method of claim. 8, wherein the subject is human.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the immunoassay is an IFA.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the immunoassay is an ELISA.  
     
     
         12 . A method for determining whether a subject has an increased likelihood of being infected presently or in the past with  Bartonella henselae  comprising: 
 (a) conducting an immunoassay on a sample from the subject, and    (b) determining that the subject has an increased likelihood of being infected presently or in the past with  Bartonella henselae  if the results of the immunoassay indicate that an antibody is present in the sample, or determining that the subject does not have an increased likelihood of being infected presently or in the past with  Bartonella henselae  if the results of the immunoassay indicate that the antibody is not present in the sample, wherein the antibody is capable of binding to an antigen consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, or SEQ ID NO:18.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the subject is human.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the immunoassay is an IFA.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the immunoassay is an ELISA.  
     
     
         16 . A method for determining whether a subject has a present infection with  Bartonella henselae  or had a past infection with  Bartonella henselae  comprising: 
 (a) conducting an immunoassay on a sample from the subject, and    (b) determining that the subject has a present infection with  Bartonella henselae  or had a past infection with  Bartonella henselae  if the results of the immunoassay indicate that an antibody is present in the sample, or determining that the subject does not have a present infection with  Bartonella henselae  or did not have a past infection with  Bartonella henselae  if die results of the immunoassay indicate that the antibody is not present in the sample, wherein the antibody is capable of binding to an antigen consisting of tile amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, or SEQ ID NO:18.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the subject is human.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the immunoassay is an IFA.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the immunoassay is an ELISA.  
     
     
         20 . The kit of  claim 4 , wherein the immunoassay comprises Western blotting.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the immunoassay comprises Western blotting.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the immunoassay comprises Western blotting.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the immunoassay comprises Western blotting.