Monoclonal antibody and polyclonal antibody and oxytocin quantification method based on same

An in vitro method for the detection and quantification of free oxytocin and protein-bound oxytocin able to be released in a reduction/alkylation treatment, in a sample, said method comprising

• carrying out an assay comprising:
• adding to said sample a monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to free oxytocin and protein-bound oxytocin able to be released in a reduction/alkylation treatment, wherein said monoclonal antibody comprises:
• a heavy chain CDR1 region consisting of the sequence SEQ ID NO:
• 6;
• a heavy chain CDR2 region consisting of the sequence SEQ ID NO:
• 8;
• a heavy chain CDR3 region consisting of the sequence SEQ ID NO:
• 10;
• a light chain CDR1 region consisting of the sequence SEQ ID NO:
• 16;
• a light chain CDR2 region consisting of the sequence SEQ ID NO:
• 18;
• and
• a light chain CDR3 region consisting of the sequence SEQ ID NO:
• 20;
• determining the amount or concentration of monoclonal antibody bound to free oxytocin and protein-bound oxytocin able to be released in a reduction/alkylation treatment;
• and
• determining the amount or concentration of free oxytocin and protein-bound oxytocin able to be released in a reduction/alkylation treatment from the amount or concentration of monoclonal antibody bound to said free oxytocin and to protein-bound oxytocin able to be released in a reduction/alkylation treatment.