Peptides relating to the extracellular membrane-bound segment of human alpha chain

Abstract

The invention relates to unique extracellular peptide segments present on B cell-bound but not secreted IgA. These extracellular peptide segments form, entirely or in part, antigenic epitopes unique to membrane-bound but not secreted IgA, and thereby provide a unique epitope on the IgA-bearing B cells to which membrane-bound IgA is attached. These peptide segments can be used as immunogens to generate antibodies which specifically target membrane-bound IgA and IgA-bearing B cells.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.