Simple enzyme immunoassay methods for recombinant human tumor necrosis factor alpha and its antibodies using a...

We have developed simple methods for measuring recombinant human tumor necrosis factor alpha (rHu-TNF alpha) and antibodies to rHu-TNF alpha in the sera of animals intravenously injected with rHu-TNF alpha. rHu-TNF alpha was measured by a competitive binding enzyme immunoassay (C-EIA) using standard rHu-TNF alpha, beta-galactosidase labeled rHu-TNF alpha as enzyme-labeled antigen (E-Ag) and anti-rabbit IgG goat immunoglobulins coupled to bacterial cell walls (insolubilized second antibody). In contrast, anti-rHu-TNF alpha antibodies were measured by a sandwich EIA (S-EIA) using purified anti-rHu-TNF alpha rabbit IgG as standard, beta-galactosidase labeled rHu-TNF alpha as E-Ag, and rHu-TNF alpha coupled to bacterial cell walls as insolubilized antigen. C-EIA permits the determination of serum rHu-TNF alpha within the range of 2-150 U/ml (about 0.7-52 ng/ml) with a CV of below 7.6% and 99% recovery. S-EIA permits the determination of anti-rHu-TNF alpha antibodies within the range of 70-1000 ng/ml with a CV of less than 4% and 94.8-106.9% recovery.