title: Improvement in establishing the period of rubella virus primary infection using a mild protein denaturant.
abstract: A more precise determination of the date of primary rubella infection in pregnancy is obtained by application of the urea denaturation method. Two denaturation buffers containing 6 and 8 M urea were compared for the detection of rubella IgG avidity by enzyme immunoassay. The results demonstrate that IgG avidity detected by 6M urea increases more rapidly, from 16% on the third day to 51% on the 46th day after the rash, than that obtained by 8 M urea, from 13 to 36%. The specific rubella IgG avidity detected by 6 M urea denaturation buffer increased significantly in paired sera obtained at an interval of 15 days. The same samples did not show any significant increase of IgG avidity when an 8 M urea denaturation buffer was used. The use of a mild denaturant such as 6 M urea indicates the presumptive date of primary rubella infection in pregnancy within 2 months of sampling.
authors.affiliation: Virology Unit, University of Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Condorelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stivala
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Musumeci
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Scatà
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Strano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pennisi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scalia
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D000915:Antibody Affinity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D012409:Rubella / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014508:Urea
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D014508:Urea