The Use of Non-Barbiturate Buffers in Counterimmunoelectrophoresis
Abstract
Counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE) has become a widely used test for the rapid identification of bacterial infections. It is less often used for identifying viral infections except for hepatitis B infections, in which CIE was the earliest test used for its detection. CIE testing has traditionally been performed using a barbital buffer as the electrolyte of choice. This is most likely due to the fact that barbital buffers were used for paper electrophoresis in serum protein studies for many years. The barbiturates used in these buffers have now become controlled substances due to their potential for drug abuse. The continued use of barbiturate buffers for electrophoresis then becomes an unsafe laboratory practice. We report here the compositions of four non-barbiturate buffers, each appears to have the potential of replacing the barbital buffer in the CIE test. We used these buffers to rapidly detect 4 bacterial and one viral antigen in the CIE test. The sensitivity achieved with these non-barbital buffers with these five antigens was comparable to that achieved with the standard barbital buffer. Further evaluation of the use of non-barbiturate buffers in the CIE test are being conducted.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1982
- Accession Number
- ADA120036
Entities
People
- Earl A. Edwards
- William G. Suiter
Organizations
- Naval Health Research Center