title: IgY stability in eggs stored at room temperature or at +4°C.
abstract: 1. The aim of this study was to investigate the stability of immunoglobulin-Y (IgY) in stored eggs from immunised hens.   2. Eggs from individual hens were randomised and stored for up to one month at room temperature, or for up to 6 months at +4°C. IgY was extracted from the egg yolks and the antibody activities were tested by ELISA.   3. There was no significant reduction in antibody titres with egg storage under these conditions.   4. Egg yolks of immunised chickens provide an inexpensive source of large amounts of polyclonal antibodies for use in immunotherapy and immunoassays. By collecting eggs from different immunised hens and pooling their yolks, it should be possible to reduce batch-to-batch variation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Clinical Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. elin.nilsson@medsci.uu.se
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stålberg
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Larsson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*; D002645:Chickens / Q000276:immunology*; D007114:Immunization; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000502:physiology*; D010063:Ovum / Q000502:physiology*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; C016512:IgY; D007136:Immunoglobulins