Method Of Pretreating Specimen And Immunoassay Using The Same

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of pretreating a specimen, which allows measurement according to an immunoassay to be carried out on a specimen from nasal secretion while preventing non-specific reactions. According to this method, the specimen from nasal secretion is treated with a protease beforehand and then an immunoassay is performed. As the protease, it is preferable to use semi-alkaline protease (EC 3.4.21.63). Furthermore, it is preferable that a substance to be pretreated by the pretreatment method according to the present invention is an influenza virus contained in the specimen from nasal secretion. The immunoassay preferably is an immunoagglutination assay. Examples of the immunoagglutination assay include a turbidimetric immunoassay, a latex turbidimetric immunoassay, and a latex agglutination assay that is performed on a slide glass.

1 . A method of pretreating a specimen for an immunoassay, 
 wherein the specimen is obtained from nasal secretion, and    the specimen is treated with a protease before performing the immunoassay.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the immunoassay is an assay for measuring a concentration of an analyte in the specimen by causing an antigen-antibody reaction between the analyte and an immunologic substance that is carried by an insoluble carrier and immunoreactive with the analyte and measuring a degree to which agglutination of the insoluble carrier has caused by the antigen-antibody reaction.  
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the protease is semi-alkaline protease (EC 3.4.21.63).  
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein an analyte in the specimen is an influenza virus.  
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the immunologic substance carried by the insoluble carrier is an antibody against the influenza virus.  
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the protease treatment is performed at a pH in a range from 5 to 11.  
   
   
       7 . An immunoassay utilizing an antigen-antibody reaction, 
 wherein a specimen is obtained from nasal secretion, and    the specimen is pretreated by the method according to  claim 1  and then the antigen-antibody reaction is carried out.    
   
   
       8 . The immunoassay according to  claim 7 , which is an assay for measuring a concentration of an analyte in the specimen by causing an antigen-antibody reaction between the analyte and an immunologic substance that is carried by an insoluble carrier and immunoreactive with the analyte and measuring a degree to which agglutination of the insoluble carrier has caused by the antigen-antibody reaction.  
   
   
       9 . The immunoassay according to  claim 7 , wherein an analyte in the specimen is an influenza virus.  
   
   
       10 . The immunoassay according to  claim 8 , wherein the immunologic substance carried by the insoluble carrier is an antibody against the influenza virus.  
   
   
       11 . A pre-treated specimen for an immunoassay, comprising a material derived from nasal secretion that has been treated with protease