SPECIES-SPECIFIC DETECTION OF VENOM ANTIGENS FROM SNAKES OF THE BOTHROPS AND LACHESIS GENERA

Venom-insoluble adsorbents were employed to absorb out the cross-react ing antibodies from monovalent polyclonal antivenoms. The absorbed ant ivenoms were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay against homol ogous and heterologous venoms and showed species-specificity throughou t a range of venom concentrations. The same absorbed antisera were use d in immunoblots under non-reducing conditions as probes to reveal spe cies-specific antigens. In all cases studied this was achieved. The ra nge of mol. wts of specific antigens was between 20,000 and 120,000, a pproximately. Venoms added to human serum experimentally were specific ally detected by their homologous absorbed antivenom antibodies. The w ork here described could be important in the development of diagnostic assays for envenomings involving snakes from the Bothrops and Lachesi s genera.