Detection of T-2 Mycotoxin Metabolites in Urines of Exposed Rats. Comparison of a Potentially Fieldable Kit with a Laboratory Assay

摘要

Rapid methods to detect toxin exposure have been a concern of the Army since the reported use of T-2 mycotoxin as a biological warfare agent in Southeast Asia and Afghanistan. T-2 toxin was included in an exploratory development program of rapid identification systems for biological agents sponsored by the United States Army Medical Materiel Development Activity. We report here evidence of T-2W exposure in urines collected up to 2 weeks after rats were exposed to a sublethal dose of T-2 toxin. A laboratory radioimmunoassay (RIA) using polyclonal antibody was used to assay the urines for HT-2 or T-2 tetraol. The sensitivity of the RIA for HT-2 was 5 ng/ml and 50 ng/ml for T-2 tetraol. Some of the urines were assayed in parallel with a potentially fieldable enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) developed for T-2 with a monoclonal antibody that cross reacts with HT-2.