THE DETECTION AND SPECIFICITY OF CLASS SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES TO WHOLE BACTERIAL-CELLS USING A SOLID-PHASE RADIOIMMUNOASSAY

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 53  (1) , 192-200
Abstract
A solid phase radioimmunoassay was developed which can be used for the detection of isotype specific antibodies to whole bacteria and other particulate antigens, and is applicable to a variety of species. Bacteria are bound to the solid phase by antibodies or methyl glyoxal. Both methods resulted in a sensitive and reproducible assay; bacteria did not appear to desorb from the solid phase. The specificity of antibodies to whole bacteria was examined by absorption of antisera with various species of bacteria and retesting, or by determining the binding of antisera to various bacteria bound to the solid phase. Both methods revealed specificity for the bacteria examined. Inhibition studies showed that antibodies to Streptococcus mutans whole cells could be inhibited by purified cell surface antigens glucosyltransferase and antigen I/II, but only minimally by lipoteichoic acid, c polysaccharide or dextran. In murine antisera, antibodies of the IgG, IgM and IgA classes were detected at amounts of < 1 ng/ml.