Bentes GA1, Lanzarini NM1, Lima LR1, Manso PP2, da Silva Ados S1, Mouta Junior Sda S3, Guimarães JR1, de Moraes MT3, Pelajo-Machado M2, Pinto MA1. 2015. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 110(4):577-9. doi: 10.1590/0074-02760140457. Epub 2015 May 15.
An increasing amount of research has been conducted on immunoglobulin Y (IgY) because the use of IgY offers several advantages with respect to diagnostic testing, including its easy accessibility, low cost and translatability to large-scale production, in addition to the fact that it can be ethically produced. In a previous work, immunoglobulin was produced and purified from egg yolks (IgY) reactive to hepatitis A virus (HAV) antigens. In the present work, this anti-HAV-specific IgY was used in an indirect immunofluorescence assay to detect viral antigens in liver biopsies that were obtained from experimentally infected cynomolgus monkeys. Fields that were positive for HAV antigen were detected in liver sections using confocal microscopy. In conclusion, egg yolks from immunised hens may be a reliable source for antibody production, which can be employed for immunological studies.