title: In vitro antibody production.
abstract: This unit describes the antigenic stimulation of in vitro antibody production by B cells and the subsequent measurement of secreted antibodies. A generalized system for inducing in vitro antibody production is presented along with a procedure for quantifying the number of antibody-producing cells by plaque-forming cell (PFC) assays: the Cunningham-Szenberg technique and the Jerne-Nordin technique. The assay can be modified as described to measure all classes of antibodies or to enumerate total immunoglobulin-secreting B cells. A protocol for preparing the resting B cells by Percoll gradient centrifugation is also described.
authors.affiliation: Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mond
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brunswick
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies / Q000378:metabolism*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies