title: Separation of antigens and antibodies by immunoaffinity chromatography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Affinity chromatography is an efficient antibody, antigen and protein separation method based on the interaction between specific immobilized ligands and target antibody, antigen, and so on. Populations of available ligands can be used to separate antibodies or their Fab fragments. Similarly, antigens can be isolated by immunoaffinity chromatography (IAC) on immobilized antibodies of low affinity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This review describes the advantages, the applications, as well as the drawbacks, of IAC in the separation and purification of antibodies and antigens.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present review discussed all types of purification and isolation of antibodies and antigens by IAC, including purification of antibodies using immobilized and synthetic mimic proteins A, G and L; isolation of Fab fragments of antibodies; separation of antibodies against different antigen forms; isolation of antigens by immobilized antibodies and so on. These methods come from over 60 references compiled from all major databases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Purification of antigens with antibodies should choose low-affinity antibodies to avoid denaturation of most proteins. Concern for cost and safety, prompted research activities focused on novel synthetic ligands with improved properties such as lower cost, avoidance of the risk of contamination associated with natural ligands of human or animal origin to isolate antibodies and antigens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is anticipated that the improvements of IAC will have impact not only on large-scale production of antibodies but also on the generation of new affinity-based methods for the increasing number of proteins and antibody derivatives available by protein engineering and the proteomics revolution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Liaoning Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.forename: Fansheng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D055910:Antibodies, Immobilized / Q000378:metabolism; D000915:Antibody Affinity; D000941:Antigens / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D055767:Immobilized Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D008024:Ligands; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D055910:Antibodies, Immobilized; D000941:Antigens; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C055047:Ig L-binding protein, Peptostreptococcus; C034284:IgG Fc-binding protein, Streptococcus; D055767:Immobilized Proteins; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments; D008024:Ligands; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A