Immobilization of antibodies on nylon for use in enzyme-linked immunoassay

Antibodies were immobilized by covalent linkage on nylon balls and powder for use in solid-phase enzyme-linked immunoassays. Covalent linkage of antibody to nylon was accomplished by treatment of partially hydrolyzed nylon with glutaraldehyde or carbodiimides. Up to 0.74 microgram of immunoglobulin G per mm2 nylon could be immobilized, whereas only 0.02 microgram per mm2 could be adsorbed to polystyrene, and the binding to nylon was stable. This eliminated the problem of antibody desorption noted in conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay which are based on simple adsorption to plastics, and gave more reproducible results. The method was also more sensitive, detecting levels of approximately 1 ng per ml of immunoglobulin E in clinical samples. Further, antibodies coupled to nylon balls remained bound under conditions that dissociate antibody-antigen complexes, which permitted reuse of the immobilized antibodies for immunoassays.