Analysis of biological fluids
AssigneeTechnicon Instruments Corporation
InventorsPierre L. Masson, Joseph F. Heremans
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Biological fluids, such as serum, are analyzed for the presence, nature and/or amount of antibodies, antigens and antibody:antigen complexes therein using as a reagent, insolubilized rheumatoid factor or insolubilized Clq. These reagents are themselves novel. They bind to antibody:antigen complexes, but not to free antibodies or antigens, and complexes can thus be removed from mixtures thereof with other materials, such as antibodies and antigens.
Claims16
A reagent useful in biological analysis which comprises RF or Clq covalently bonded to a solid phase substrate which is insoluble in aqueous fluids.
A method for quantitatively analyzing a fluid sample for an antibody -antigen complex therein, comprising:
- (a) forming a mixture of the sample with a substance selected from the group consisting of RF and Clq, said substance being absorbed onto a solid phase substrate which is insoluble in aqueous fluids;
- (b) allowing the substance on the substrate selectively to react with antibody -antigen complex present in the mixture thereby selectively to bind said complex to said adsorbed substance to form a second complex;
- (c) assaying the second complex to determine the amount of antibody -antigen complex contained therein and thereby determining the amount of antibody -antigen complex present in the sample.
A method of competitive binding assay by which the presence, in a sample, of a particular antibody, antigen or antibody -antigen complex may be detected, and the amount thereof determined, which comprises the steps of:
- (a) adding to the sample to form a mixture a quantity of the specific antigen or antibody for the antibody or antigen, respectively, to be determined, or a quantity of the antibody -antigen complex to be determined, which said quantity carries an identifying label;
- (b) contacting the mixture with a reagent substance selected from the group consisting of RF and Clq, said substance being adsorbed onto a solid phase substrate which is insoluble in aqueous fluids;
- (c) separating the reagent substance from the mixture;
- and
- (d) measuring by the identifying label the amount of labelled antibody, antigen, or antibody -antigen complex remaining in the mixture or separated with the reagent, thereby determining the presence and amount of antibody, antigen or antibody -antigen complex in the original sample.
A method for quantitatively analyzing an aqueous biological fluid sample for antibody or antigen therein, comprising:
- (a) adding to the sample the appropriate antibody or antigen, respectively, to form antibody -antigen complex;
- (b) forming a mixture of the sample with a substance selected from the group consisting of RF and Clq, the substance being adsorbed onto a solid phase substrate which is insoluble in aqueous fluids;
- (c) allowing the substance on the substrate selectively to react with antibody -antigen complex present in the mixture thereby selectively to bind the complex to the substance;
- and
- (d) assaying the substance to determine the amount of antibody -antigen complex bound thereto and thereby determining the amount of antibody or antigen present in the sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.