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A novel approach to experimentally estimating the number of reactive epitopes on multivalent antigens
1Gastroenterology Section, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex.
Various coefficients in radioimmunoassays are expressed in a series of equations. These equations provide an approach to estimating the number of epitopes on a multivalent antigen as well as a macromolecular topogram. In this paper, pig insulin (Ins), horse myoglobin (Mb), human serum albumin (HSA), human alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and adr-hepatitis B type virus surface antigen (HBsAg) were chosen as objects of study. The number of epitopes was calculated to be Ins = 2, Mb = 5, HSA = 16, AFP = 6, HBsAg = 146. These epitope numbers, calculated by equations, were very similar to those previously identified experimentally. This suggests that our theoretical approach may be useful in predicting the number of epitopes on other macromolecules of biological and clinical interest.
Various coefficients in radioimmunoassays are expressed in a series of equations. These equations provide an approach to estimating the number of epitopes on a multivalent antigen as well as a macromolecular topogram. In this paper, pig insulin (Ins), horse myoglobin (Mb), human serum albumin (HSA), human alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and adr-hepatitis B type virus surface antigen (HBsAg) were chosen as objects of study. The number of epitopes was calculated to be Ins = 2, Mb = 5, HSA = 16, AFP = 6, HBsAg = 146. These epitope numbers, calculated by equations, were very similar to those previously identified experimentally. This suggests that our theoretical approach may be useful in predicting the number of epitopes on other macromolecules of biological and clinical interest.