DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF ANTICHLAMYDIAL MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES FOR RAPIDDIAGNOSIS OF FOLLICULAR CONJUCTIVITIS

We developed four independent murine hybrid clones producing IgG class and genus specific monoclonal antibodies against the major outer memb rane protein (MOMP) of Chlamydia trachomatis, L2 serovar. All antibodi es reacted with a single epitope of MOMP. In indirect immunofluorescen ce assay using one of the antibodies chlamydiae could be detected in 1 2 of 23 conjuctival scrappings from patients of follicular conjuctivit is. Geimsa staining could detect classical inclusion bodies in only 5 of these 23 smears. Antigen detection using these monoclonal antibodie s may be used as a rapid diagnostic test in clinical and epidemiologic al screening for chlamydial infection.