Clostridium Antibodies

A toxin is a poisonous substance produced by some bacteria, such as Clostridium tetani, the bacteria that cause tetanus. A toxin is capable of stimulating the body to produce antitoxins, which are substances that act in the same manner as antibodies. Toxins are powerful substances, and like other antigens, they can be attenuated. A toxin that is attenuated (or weakened) but still capable of stimulating the formation of antitoxins is called a toxoid. 

Immunologic abnormahties (eg, transfusion reactions, the presence in plasma of warm and cold antibodies that lyse red blood cells, and unusual sensitivity to complement) also fall in this class, as do toxins released by various infectious agents, such as certain bacteria (eg, Clostridium). Some snakes release venoms that act to lyse the red cell membrane (eg, via the action of phospholipases or proteinases). 

Antibodies raised against venom of various spiders Specificity against toxin of Clostridium tetani Specificity against toxin of C. tetani Antibodies against tick-borne encephalitis virus Specificity for causative agent of chicken pox... 

Trivalent and heptavalent antitoxins are available A vaccine allows development of antibodies to the most common forms of Clostridium botulinum (Types A, B, C, D, and E)... 

The detection of flu viruses via a fluorescent sandwich immunoassay was reported by Bucher.(10) However, the method sensitivity was too low for direct detection of the virus. A novel sandwich immunoassay was described by Ogcr((lff7 for the detection of Botulinum Toxin A. Antibodies specific for Clostridium botulinum were covalently attached to the surface of a tapered fiber. After the capture of the antigen, a sandwich was formed with a rhodamine-labeled anti-toxin IgG, and the evanescent wave was measured. The assay was highly specific with detection limits near 5 ppb. 

Tetanus immunoglobulin is an example of an antibody preparation used to induee passive immunization against a mierobial toxin. Tetanus (lockjaw) is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium, Clostridium tetani. Bacterial spores can commonly contaminate surface wounds and the resulting bacterial cells produce a toxin as they multiply. The toxin interferes with normal neurological function, particularly at neuromuscular junctions. The result is spasmodic contraction of muscles and, if untreated, mortality rates are high. Treatment with antibiotics and anti-toxin, however, is highly effective if administered promptly. 

Immune milk products with specific antibodies against rotavirus, Clostridium difficile or E. coli have been launched on the market in Australia and the United States. It has been suggested that such preparations could provide a potential alternative for, or a supplement to, antibiotics, especially in the case of treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (Ruiz, 1994 Weiner et al., 1999 Korhonen et al., 2000b). The supplementation of infant formulas with specific antibodies has also been proposed, but no such product has been introduced on the market, so far (Goldman, 1989 Davidson, 1996). 

Vancomycin-associated thrombocytopenia has been reported in a 72-year-old woman who was treated with gentamicin and vancomycin for infectious endocarditis due to Clostridium pseudodiphtheriticum (52). On the 4th day of treatment, the platelet count fell and reached a nadir of 14 x lO /l on day 7. Two days after withdrawal of vancomycin (day 8) the platelet count began to rise and reached 150 x lO /l within 5 days. Vancomycin-dependent antiplatelet IgG antibodies were not detected 10 days after vancomycin. 

An efficient system for the production of recombinant antibodies is cellulose-assisted refolding technology, as described by Berdichevsky et al. [7]. The expressed scFvs were fused to a cellulose-binding domain (CBD) from the bacterium Clostridium thermocellum in the format scFv-CBD. The resulting fusion proteins were obtained in high yield from bacterially produced inclusion bodies that become solubilized and then refold while immobilized on cellulose. The refolded and purified scFv-CBD fusion proteins can be used to form cellulose-based affinity matrices or, as described herein, can be immobilized on a cellulose matrix that makes up part of the immunoelectrochemical sensor device. 

Frey SM, Wilkins TD (1992) Localization of two epitopes recognized by monoclonal antibody PCG-4 on Clostridium difficile toxin A. In Infect. Immun. 60 2488-2492. 

Sauerborn M, Hegenbarth S, Laufenberg-Feldmann R, etal. (1994) Monoclonal antibodies discriminating between Clostridium difficile toxins A and B. In Bacterial protein toxins (Freer J, Aitken R, Alouf JE, et al. eds) pp 510-511, Stuttgart Jena New York Gustav Fischer Verlag. 

Berdichevsky, Y. Ben-Zeev, E. Lamed, R. Benhar, I., Phage display of a cellulose binding domain from Clostridium thermocellum and its application as a tool for antibody engineering,. /. Immunol. Methods 1999, 228, 151-162... 

Sharma, S.K., Ferreira, J.L., Eblen, B.S., and Whiting, R.C. 2006. Detection of type A, B, E, andF Clostridium botulinum neurotoxins in foods by using an amphfied enzyme-hnked immunosorbent assay with digoxigenin-labeled antibodies. Appl. Environ. Micorbiol. 72 1231-1248. 

Fig. 9.5.6 Direct detection and amplification of the protein toxin Clostridium botulinum toxin A (toxoid). The upper line is an average of three channels with ant -botulinum antibody on the surface.

Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids indnce antibodies against toxins made by Corynebacterium diphtherias and Clostridium tetani. It is indicated for achievement of active immunity against diphtheria and tetanus. Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids (Td) for adult use are the preferred agents for immunizing most adults and children after 7 years. 

Deng X K, Nesbit L A, Morrow K J, Jr (2003). Recombinant single-chain variable fragment antibodies directed against Clostridium difficile toxin B produced by use of an optimized phage display system. Clin. Diagn. Lab. Immunol. 10 587-595. 

Tetanus Toxin (TTFC) The tetanus toxin is a neurotoxin produced by Clostridium tetani under certain conditions. The use of L. lactis as a live protein delivery vector was first published by Wells et al. with the fragment C of tetanus toxin (TTFC) to provide a proof-of-concept (Wells et al. 1993a). Mice immunized with subcutaneous injection of L. lactis strains producing TTFC were successfully protected against lethal challenge with tetanus toxin. Both oral (Robinson et al. 1997) and nasal (Norton et al. 1997) administration strategies induced similar systemic antibody responses at protective levels, albeit oral immunization produced lower serum IgG and mucosal IgA antibodies compared to nasal immunization. 

Although the anti-poly G poly C sera react with poly dG poly dC, no precipitation with Micrococcus lysodeikticus DNA (72% GC) is observed, whether native or heat-denatured DNA is used. Negative results are also obtained with native or denatured DNA from E, coli, Clostridium j>erfringens, phage 2 C, chicken myeloblastic leukemic cells or calf thymus. In contrast, antibodies to poly G poly C react with RNA and appear to be capable of distinguishing ribonucleic acids according to their origin. 

Shone, C., Wilton-Smith, R, Appleton, N., Hambleton, R, Modi, N., Gately, S., and Melling, J., 1985, Monoclonal antibody-based immunoassay for type A Clostridium botulinum toxin is comparable to mouse bioassay. Appl. Environment. Miocrobiol. 50 63-67. 

---