title: A terminal antibody method based on multiple factors that influence ELISA results for measurement of antibody affinity in clinical specimens.
abstract: To establish a new method for the measurement of antibody affinity in clinical samples.
  
  
  
  Serial dilutions of antiserum samples were prepared to find the threshold concentration of antibody separating detectable from negative ELISA results. This threshold concentration was defined as the terminal antibody (TA) concentration, and a new method for measuring antibody affinity based on the effect of multiple factors that influence ELISA results at TA concentration was established, which we called the TA method. The TA method was used to measure low- and high-affinity antiserum samples to verify the validity of the method, and then was used to measure the affinity of the antibody to Hepatitis B surface antigen and affinity of antibody to Hepatitis C Virus in clinical serum specimens.
  
  
  
  Low- and high-affinity antiserum samples could be clearly distinguished by TA method. The antibody affinity in anti-HBe positive group was significantly higher than that of anti-HBe negative group; the affinity of antibody to HCV in HCV-RNA negative group was significantly higher than that of HCV-RNA positive group.
  
  
  
  The TA method for measuring antibody affinity in clinical specimens displayed its validation and that may have potential application value in clinical settings.
authors.affiliation: College of Medical Laboratory, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China. Electronic address: 18842822535@163.com.
authors.forename: Congcong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China. Electronic address: wz_0104@163.com.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Medical Laboratory, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China. Electronic address: liuhui60@sina.com.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000915:Antibody Affinity; D004279:DNA, Viral; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies
keywords: Antibody affinity; ELISA; HBV; HCV; Method