An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for pantothenate has been developed. Antibodies induced in rabbits against bovine serum albumin-pantothenate conjugate were specifically purified by affinity chromatography. This process served to reduce the amount of endogenous pantothenate attached to the antibody, as well as to purify the antibody. The purified antibodies were covalently linked to alkaline phosphatase (Sigma type VII) with glutaraldehyde (0.05% aqueous solution). An immobilized pantothenate substrate was first obtained by attaching human serum albumin-pantothenate conjugate to the surface of polystyrene culture tubes by passive adsorption. The binding of the enzyme labelled antibody (E-AB} to this substrate is proportionately inhibited by free pantothenate as standards or as samples for analysis. The inhibition of E-AB immobilization was quantitated at 405 nm by the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl phosphate as indicated by the formation of p-nitrophenol. A standard curve was plotted on log logit paper, and was linear in the range of 2 through 1000 ng pantothenate. Initial experiments show that the ELISA will be useful in assessing pantothenate in deproteinized blood samples and in food extracts.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1989.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1983.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1989.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1983.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1989.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1989.

Thesis (doctoral)--Lund University, 1997. / Added t.p. with thesis statement inserted.

Thesis (doctoral)--Lund University, 1997. / Added t.p. with thesis statement inserted.

Orientador: Rinaldo Poncio Mendes / Coorientador: James Venturini / Coorientador: Ana Pardini Vicentini / Coorientador: Daniela Vanessa Moris de Oliveira / Banca: Mário León Silva-Vergara / Banca: Anamaria Mello Miranda Peniago / Resumo: O reaparecimento de manifestações clínicas após tratamento eficaz, neste texto identificado como recaída, tem sido pouco avaliado. Assim, foram estudados os casos de recaída observados em 400 pacientes, 93 com a forma aguda/subaguda (FA) e 307 com a crônica (FC), que já tinham apresentado cura aparente, isto é, com cura clínica, normalização da velocidade de hemossedimentação e cura sorológica - caracterizada pela presença de teste negativo à imunodifusão dupla em gel de agar por dois anos. Vinte e um (5,2%) desses pacientes apresentaram recaídas da doença. Três (14,3%) eram do sexo feminino e 18 (85,7%) do masculino, com razão de masculinidade de 6:1. Dos 21 pacientes com recaída, 15 (4,8%) apresentavam a FC e 6 (6,4%) a FA (p>0,05). As reativações ocorreram de 46 a 296 meses após introdução do tratamento (Md=96) e de 4 a 267 meses (Md= 60) após sua suspensão. As formas clínicas não diferiram quanto aos tempos decorridos até a reativação. O diagnóstico sorológico de recaída pela IDD foi feito em apenas 45% dos casos, o que levou à avaliação de outros testes para esse fim. Assim, foi realizado o enzimaimunoensaio (ELISA) e o immunoblotting (IB). A sensibilidade da IDD e do ELISA / 0,710 foi 76,1% em amostras de soro obtidos no pré-tratamento (p=0,25). No diagnóstico de recaída, a sensibilidade da IDD foi menor que no pré-tratamento (80% vs 45%; p=0,017), enquanto o ELISA / 0,710 foi igual (80% vs 65%;p=0,125). A sensibilidade do IB para diagnóstico de recaída foi de 12,5% na identificação da gp70 e 43,8% na da gp43 (p<0,05). A avaliação da acurácia do teste ELISA revelou sensibilidade de 96%, especificidade de 95%, valor preditivo positivo de 95%, valor preditivo negativo de 96% e acurácia de 95,5% quando o cut-off utilizado foi a densidade óptica de 0,710, obtido em função da construção da receiver operator characteristc - ROC, para um intervalo de confiança ... / Abstract: The reappearance of clinical manifestations after efficacious treatment, here identified as relapse, has been rarely evaluated. Thus, the cases of relapse observed in a cohort of 400 patients, 93 with acute/subacute form (AF) and 307 with chronic form (CF) were studied. They had already reached apparent cure, characterized as clinical cure, normalization of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and serological cure, with a negative double agar gel immunodiffusion test (DID) for two years after antifungal discontinuation. Twenty-one (5.2%) of these patients had relapses. Three (14.3%) were female and 18 (85.7%) were male, with a male:female ratio of 6:1. Of the 21 relapsed patients, 15 (4.8%) presented the CF and 6 (6.4%) the AF (p>0.05). The relapse occurred 46-296 months after introduction of the treatment (Md=8 yrs) and from 4 to 267 months (Md=5 yrs) after withdrawal. Clinical forms did not differ regarding to the time elapsed until relapse. DID was positive in only 45% of the relapsed cases, which led to the evaluation of other tests to diagnose this condition. Thus, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was standardized and the cut off was determined using the curve receiver operator characteristic - ROC and confidence intervals of 95% and 99%, showing optical densities of 0.710 and 0.850, respectively. Then, serological evaluation was performed using ELISA/0.710 and ELISA/0.850, and immunoblotting identifying gp43 (IBgp43) and gp70 (IBgp70). ELISA 0.710 and DID showed the same sensitivity, 76.1%, in serum samples obtained before treatment (p=0.25). DID sensitivity was lower at relapse than before the initial treatment (45% vs 80%; p=0.017), whereas ELISA/0,710 was the same (65% vs 80%; p=0.125). IBgp70 showed a 12.5% and IBgp43 a 43.8% sensitivity for diagnosing relapse (p<0.05). ELISA/0.710 showed a 96% sensitivity, 95% specificity, 95% positive predictive value, 96% negative ... / Mestre