Development of a radioimmunoassay to bradykinin using monoclonal antibodies

We report here our success in the preparation of monoclonal antibody directed against bradykinin. We further demonstrate that the preparation is easier and less time-consuming compared to the preparation of polyclonal antibodies. The polyclonal antibody provides a ready source of the reagent very much required in the performance of the kinin radioimmunoassay. Limitation of this reagent was in the fact that it did not attain the desired specificity to distinguish between the kinin peptides. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note that the domains of recognition sites can be very similar for monoclonal or polyclonal response, particularly when the antigen is smaller (molecular size of about 1 Kd) as is the case with bradykinin. Our laboratory produced the first monoclonal antibodies at Brown University. These antibodies were directed to bradykinin in BALB-C mice and could recognize bradykinin, lysyl-bradykinin and met-lysyl-bradykinin. Using this reagent it is possible to develop and validate an RIA which can be utilized to measure total kinins in tissues and body fluids. Although this antibody shows similar specificity as found with the polyclonal antibody, the ease and shorter duration of this preparation may make it a reagent of choice.