Enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) of size-selected crotalid venom antigens by Wyeth's polyvalent antivenom

The binding of Antivenom (Crotalidae) Polyvalent to fractions from crude venoms of eight crotalid and one viperid snake, obtained by high performance size-exclusion chromatography, was determined with an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Most of the large (greater than 30,000 mol. wt) molecular mass crotalid venom fractions were associated with high (greater than 0.7 absorbance units) ELISA values. Similarly, the medium (13,000-30,000 mol. wt) and small (less than 14,000 mol. wt) molecular mass crotalid venom fractions were coincident with moderate (0.3-0.7 absorbance units) and low (less than 0.3 absorbance units) ELISA levels. Some variability in this pattern was seen with individual venom fractions. A distinctly different pattern of ELISA values were observed with two rattlesnake venoms: the South American (Crotalus durissus terrificus) and Mojave desert (Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus) rattlesnakes. The elution profile from these venoms showed a progression of low to moderate ELISA values within the large molecular mass fractions. This pattern was followed by a decline to low ELISA values throughout the remainder of the elution profile. When saw scaled viper (Echis carinatus leucogaster) venom fractions were tested, only background ELISA values were detected with antivenom. Similarly, background ELISA values were associated with the small molecular mass fractions of all venoms tested. In addition, the elution position for the basic peptides of southern Pacific (Crotalus viridis helleri) and timber (Crotalus h. horridus) rattlesnake venoms showed minimal ELISA values. These data support the view that except for the venom of C. durissus terrificus and C. s. scutulatus, most antivenom antibodies bind large (greater than 30,000 mol. wt) venom fractions. Thus, antivenom contains minimal levels of antibodies to the basic peptides in these venoms.