title: Production and characterisation of antibodies to vanillylmandelic acid.
abstract: Antibodies were raised to the catecholamine metabolite vanillylmandelic acid (VMA). The side chain was protected and, after derivatisation through the 4-phenolic hydroxyl group, the hapten was coupled to KLH and the resultant conjugate deprotected. Sheep immunised with this immunogen responded with specific, high titre antibodies to VMA as assessed using a fluorescent label. Cross-reaction of the antiserum from one of the sheep was minimal, being under 1% with all naturally occurring related compounds tested. This report is the first to describe an effective antiserum for VMA which will permit measurement over the normal range in urine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pathology, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, U.K.
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Mellor
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gallacher
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Landon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D012756:Sheep; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014642:Vanilmandelic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D014642:Vanilmandelic Acid