New Diagnostics Detect EBV and Arteriosclerosis

Two new diagnostic kits have been developed for the detection of the Epstein Barr virus (EBV), with a third kit designed to detect a patient's predisposition to cardiovascular disease.

The Fidis EBV G and EBV M kits are designed to detect the presence of IgG and IgM antibodies against the Epstein Barr virus, which causes infectious mononucleosis in immunocompromised patients, transplant recipients, and young people. Widespread testing for this disease is already carried out in Europe and the United States. The new kits provide medical laboratories with accurate, fast tests for the antibodies, which are currently performed using enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays (ELISAs) or unitary tests.

The two Fidis EBV kits are the first in a range of infectious disease kits developed by Biomedical Diagnostics SA (bmd, Marne-la-Vallee, France). The company plans to produce kits for respiratory diseases, sexually transmissible diseases, vaccination follow-up, and viral meningitis.

Predisposition of individuals to cardiovascular diseases can be checked using the third diagnostic kit. Apoliprotein E (APO E) is an essential vector of blood lipids, which are components of coronary plaque. One of APO E's polymorphisms, APO E4, is an indicator of high risk of heart failure in 75% of cases when it is associated with a high level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Patients who carry allele APO E4 respond better to anti-cholesterol drugs and benefit more from dietary regimens.

Used in conjunction with Fidis, bmd's multiplex diagnostic system, the different kits measure several antibodies or alleles after a one-hour incubation. Bmd is the only company today to offer diagnostic tools that are compatible with bmd's modular, automated, flow cytometry-based Caris-Fidis platform for autoimmune, infectious, and genetic diseases.



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