Dear Lola Y.,

I think your idea is right. However, few reports have documented the use of this dye to capture antibodies. Among those reports, a patent entitled "Borrelia burgdorferi bacterial antigen diagnostic test using polymeric bait containing capture particles

WO 2011068844 A1 ". I have copied some important paragraphs from the reported invention for quick view:

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method for detecting Bb antigens associated with Lyme disease in biological fluids isolated from mammal subjects. The method of this invention provides a means to utilize polymeric capture particles to harvest, concentrate and separate the low abundance antigens from biological fluids (i.e. urine, serum, cerebral spinal fluid) isolated from mammal subjects. The concentrated antigens are then detected using by the formation of immune complexes with specific primary monoclonal antibodies and further secondary antibodies conjugated to detection elements further allowing for qualitative and/or quantitative detection of Bb antigens. This invention further allows for the improved ability to detect bacterial antigens at much lower concentrations than current methods. The method of the present invention provide a reliable, rapid, inexpensive and non-invasive means for the detection of such antigens, in a manner that can enable the tailoring and monitoring of an effective therapeutic regimen. 3

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Figure la. Silver stain SDS-PAGE demonstrating the ability of four of nine different types of dye- functionalized polymeric capture particles (listed above each gel) to concentrate Bb proteins in water. Acid Black 48 dye was determined to be the most effective at concentrating the total protein mix. OspA 31 kDa, OspB 34 kDa, IS = initial solution, S = supernatant, and P = polymeric capture particle.

Figure lb. Silver stain SDS-PAGE demonstrating the ability of five of nine different types of dye- functionalized polymeric capture particles (listed above each gel) to concentrate B. burgdorferi proteins in water. Acid Black 48 dye was determined to be the most effective at concentrating the total protein mix. OspA 31 kDa, OspB 34 kDa, IS = initial solution, S = supernatant, and P = polymeric capture particle.

http://www.google.com/patents/WO2011068844A1?cl=en

https://books.google.ps/books?id=MRQHtFzQI_IC&pg=PT22&lpg=PT22&dq=conjugate+antibodies+to+Acid+Black+48+Dye&source=bl&ots=V9HGx_JOo

The following is another publication which discuss the utilization of dye to capture antibodies:

Biomaterials. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2012 Feb 1.

Published in final edited form as:

Biomaterials. 2011 Feb; 32(4): 1157–1166.

Published online 2010 Oct 28. doi:  10.1016/j.biomaterials.2010.10.004

PMCID: PMC3019571

NIHMSID: NIHMS245445

The Use of Hydrogel Microparticles to Sequester and Concentrate Bacterial Antigens in a Urine Test for Lyme Disease

Temple Douglas,a Davide Tamburro,a Claudia Fredolini,a,b,c Benjamin Espina,d Benjamin S. Lepene,d Leopold Ilag,eVirginia Espina,a Emanuel F. Petricoin, III,a Lance A. Liotta,a and Alessandra Luchinia,*

Author information ► Copyright and License information ►

The publisher's final edited version of this article is available at Biomaterials

See other articles in PMC that cite the published article.

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Abstract

Hydrogel biomarker capturing microparticles were evaluated as a biomaterial to amplify the sensitivity of urine testing for infectious disease proteins. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by ticks. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment of Lyme disease reduces complications including arthritis and cardiac involvement. While a urine test is highly desirable for Lyme disease screening, this has been difficult to accomplish because the antigen is present at extremely low concentrations, below the detection limit of clinical immunoassays. N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm) – acrylic acid (AAc) microparticles were covalently functionalized with amine containing dyes via amidation of carboxylic groups present in the microparticles. The dyes act as affinity baits towards protein analytes in solution. NIPAm/AAc microparticles functionalized with acid black 48 (AB48) mixed with human urine, achieved close to one hundred percent capture and 100 percent extraction yield of the target antigen. In urine, microparticles sequestered and concentrated Lyme disease antigens 100 fold, compared to the absence of microparticles, achieving an immunoassay detection sensitivity of 700 pg/mL in 10mL urine. Antigen present in a single infected tick could be readily detected following microparticle sequestration. Hydrogel microparticles functionalized with high affinity baits can dramatically increase the sensitivity of urinary antigen tests for infectious diseases such as Lyme disease. These findings justify controlled clinical studies evaluating the sensitivity and precision of Lyme antigen testing in urine.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3019571/

Hoping this will be helpful,

Rafik

Thank you so much!