Radioimmunoassay reveals no anti-male specificity in putative H-Y antisera

Putative anti-H-Y antisera have been examined for H-Y-specific antibody in a sensitive antiglobulin radioimmunoassay. All the sera tested were weakly bound by both male and female spleen cells. Absorption of the antisera with cells of either sex was equally effective in reducing the amount of antiglobulin bound revealing that their activity was not specific for H-Y gene products. The failure in this study to demonstrate H-Y-specific antibody is discussed.