Production of Vi monoclonal antibodies and their application as diagnostic reagents

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Serum antibodies to Vi antigen were detected in mice immunized with the purified antigen but not with Vi-bearing Salmonella typhi whole cells. Fusion of the spleen cells from one of the Vi antibody-producing mice with NSI myeloma cells produced four stable hybridomas that secreted antibodies to Vi. Monoclonal antibodies from these four clones were all of the immunoglobulin G class and, as determined by competition, appeared to have the same epitope specificity. Despite their immunoglobulin G nature, mouse ascitic fluids induced by one of the hybridomas strongly agglutinated the Vi-positive strains of S. typhi, S. dublin, and Citrobacter strain 5396/38. Thus, 10 clinical isolates of S. typhi but not 98 strains of other bacteria were reactive in slide agglutination tests with the monoclonal antibodies.