ENZYME IMMUNOASSAY FOR T-2 TETRAOL

MUCH ATTENTION HAS BEEN FOCUSED UPON THE POSSIBLE USE OF TOXIC BIOLOGICAL AGENTS IN BOTH SOUTHEAST ASIA AND AFGANISTAN. SUCH INCIDENTS INDICATE A NEED FOR IMPROVING THE UNITED STATES CAPABILITY TO ACCURATELY DETECT THESE TOXINS AT LEVELS WELL BELOW THOSE LETHAL TO HUMANS.ONE OF THE MOST COMMON GROUPS OF NATURALLY OCCURING TOXINS IS THE TRICHOTHECENE (E.G., T-2 TOXIN) WHICH ARE HIGHLY TOXIC SECONDARY METABOLITES OF MOLDS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THE CAUSE OF TOXICOSESIN HUMANS AND ANIMALS. THE U.S. ARMY HAS SPECULATED THAT T-2 TOXIN HAS BEEN USED AND THUS HAS SOUGHT ASSISTANCE IN DEVELOPING ANALYTICAL METHODS FOR DETECTION OF T-2 TOXIN AND ITS CHIEF URINARY METABOLITE T-2 TETRAOL. A VARIETY OF METHODS ARE AVAILABLE FOR DETERMINING POSSIBLE MYCOTOXIN CONTAMINATION IN BIOLOGICAL FLUIDS OR THE ENVIRONMENT. MOST OF THE AVAILABLE ASSAYS (E.G., HPLC, GC-MS) REQUIRE EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT, TRAINED PERSONNEL, AND ARE SLOW IN DETERMINING IF CONTAMINATION IS PRESENT. WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP AN ENZYME IMMUNOASSAY (EIA) WHICH WILL BE USEFUL FOR THE DETECTION OF LOW CONCENTRATIONS OF T-2 TETRAOL IN URINE WHICH IS ALSO ADAPTABLE FOR DETECTION OF OTHER BIOLOGICAL TOXINS. THE ASSAY IS SIMPLE, FAST (LESS THAN 5 MINUTES), NONINSTRUMENTAL AND THUS EASILY PORTABLE FOR FIELD USE BY MILITARY PERSONNEL.