ISSN:
1398-9995
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
AN automated particle counting immunoassay (PACIA) for measurement of blocking antibodies (antigen neutralizing capacity) against timothy grass pollen extract in sera from desensitized allergies is described.Latex particles coated with E(ab')2-anti-timothy are agglutinated by timothy. Serum containing anti-timothy antibodies inhibits the agglutination. Non-agglutinated particles are counted in a modified Auto Counter. Nineteen of 20 sera from timothy allergies who had undergone immunotherapy with purified timothy extract for 30 weeks, showed significant agglutination-inhibition. None of 42 normal human sera gave significant inhibition. The inhibiting antibody could be removed by absorption with protein A and was thus of non- IgE nature, i.e. blocking antibody. The results obtained correlated statistically significantly with those found with a double-antibody method (rS= 0.62, n= 20, t= 3.35, P 〈 0.01) and with the cumulated dosage of timothy allergen extract administered to the individual patient (rS= 0.56, n= 20, t= 2.87, P 〈0.02). Between-assay coefficient of variation was from 6.4% to 18.3%. The capacity is 40 samples per hour. The method has also been applied to measurement of blocking antibodies to boney bee and wasp venom.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1398-9995.1983.tb01603.x
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