Measurement of intestinal antibody by radioimmunoassay

The study of antibody responses in the intestine has been greatly hampered by lack of reproducible sensitive assays. An assay for measuring antibody against bacteria capable of regularly detecting gut antibody in gastroenteritis is described. It is based on absorption of antibody onto bacteria and measurement of the amount of antibody bound using radiolabelled anti-immunoglobulin antibody. Anti-light chain antibody is used to detect all classes of antibody as well as partially degraded antibody which retains the capacity to bind; anti-alpha and anti-gamma antibody is used to measure IgA and IgG antibody. The sensitivity of the assay depends on the use of anti-immunoglobulin antibody purified by affinity chromatography and allows measurement of nanogram amounts of antibody. Its specificity and kinetics are described and the particular advantages it provides in the measurement of antibacterial antibody in the intestine are discussed.