[Development of an experimental immunoglobulin test system based on anti-idiotypic immunoglobulins for the determination of specific plague antibodies in serum of patients inoculated with the live plague vaccine EV NIIEG].

A new rapid, inexpensive, strictly specific, highly sensitive, and safe experimental ELISA test system based on rabbit anti-idiotypic immunoglobulins (anti-Id-ab) against Yersinia pestis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was developed. Its efficiency was demonstrated, by using a panel of xenogenic antisera of biomodels immunized with the LPS extracted according to the Galanos procedure or the live plague vaccine EV NIIEG. In all cases, the similar proportions of positive reactions to the antigen itself or anti-Id-ab to LPS were registered and there was no significant difference in the detectable concentrations of both antigenic substances. The same data were obtained in ELISA with antisera from the human beings immunized with the vaccine irrespective of the time of vaccination or the number of injections. Whether the use of ELISA is promising in the development of a diagnostic immunoglobulin antiplaque test system is discussed.