title: Murine hybridoma-derived antibodies in the processing of antigens for the immunodiagnosis of hydatid (Echinococcus granulosus) infection in sheep.
abstract: Mice experimentally infected with hydatid parasite Echinococcus granulosus (secondary echinococcosis), were used as spleen cell donors for hybridoma production. Two hybridomas were produced which secreted antibody with anti-E. granulosus cyst fluid (EgCF) activity. Radioimmunoassays comparing the binding of these hybridoma-derived antibodies to E. granulosus versus several other antigen preparations from sheep parasites showed that the antibodies had a high degree of specificity for the hydatid parasite. However, using a panel of clinically defined sheep sera in a competitive radio-immunoassay, the binding of the hybridoma-derived antibodies to EgCF was inhibited strongly by sera from sheep infected with the common parasites Fasciola hepatica and Taenia hydatigena. When the hybridoma-derived antibodies were conjugated to CNBr-activated Sepharose and the crude EgCF applied to the affinity column, the "run through' antigen preparation showed a significant increase in specificity for experimental E. granulosus infection. A useful means of applying the hybridoma technology in the development of new immunodiagnostic reagents may be to select those murine hybridomas which produce high-affinity, cross-reacting antibodies and to use these antibodies in the processing of homologous antigen by affinity chromatography.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000941:Antigens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006801:Humans; D006825:Hybridomas / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000941:Antigens