title: Growth inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus by chicken egg yolk antibodies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim was to evaluate the ability of egg yolk antibody (IgY) in blocking Staphylococcus aureus growth in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Specific IgY was produced by immunizing hens with formalin-killed S. aureus (ATCC 33593). Specific IgY against S. aureus was obtained from the yolks of their eggs with a carrageenan solution. IgY was identified by SDS-PAGE and Western blot and its activity against S. aureus was tested by ELISA. A growth inhibition assay and protein concentration determination were also conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ELISA indicated that the IgY was specific to the antigen; this activity was confirmed by Western blotting. The growth of S. aureus was inhibited by the specific IgY at concentrations of 1-5 microg/ml The bacteriostatic function of IgY appeared to result possibly from the interaction of IgY with surface components of S. aureus. In vitro experiments showed that the immunoglobulin from egg yolk interfered with the culture growth of the S. aureus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that eggs from hens immunized with appropriate antigens are a potentially useful source of passive immunity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology of Human Cancer, UFES, Vitória, ES, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marco Cesar Cunegundes
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.forename: Lívia Gomes
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Amaral
authors.forename: Letícia Batista Azevedo
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Rangel
authors.forename: Ian Victor
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Claudia Gomes Fernandes
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Matta
authors.forename: Marcos Fernando de Rezende
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Matta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000276:immunology; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D002645:Chickens / Q000276:immunology*; D004530:Egg Yolk / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000906:Antibodies; C016512:IgY; D007136:Immunoglobulins