IMMUNE-RESPONSE TO 17-BETA-ESTRADIOL IN POLYELECTROLYTE COMPLEX - ANTIGEN-SPECIFICITY AND AFFINITY OF HYBRIDOMA CLONES

Complex formation between synthetic polyelectrolytes (PE) [poly-4-viny l-N-ethyl (cetyl), pyridine bromides-PVP(R(2),R(16))], bovine serum al bumin (BSA), or 17 beta-estradiol-BSA conjugate (BSA.E) was studied in neutral water, Weakly water-soluble (colloidal) complex was formed up on addition of BSA.E to PVP (R(2),R(16)) solution at pH 7, A nonrandom distribution of the protein molecules between the coils of polycation s and self-assembly in the nonstochiometric polycomplex particles took place, The immunogenic properties of PVP (R(2),R(16))-BSA.E polycompl ex were investigated and the specificities of produced antibodies anal yzed, 17 beta-Estradiol introduced in polyelectrolyte complexes (PE-BS A) was found to invoke considerable increases in the steroid-specific immunoresponse, However, a comparative study of immunogenic activity o f polycomplexes versus BSA.E + incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) mixt ures revealed some differences in regards to the specificity of antibo dy production, In contrast to IFA + BSA.E systems, polycomplexes were able to generate estradiol-as well as BSA-specific antibodies, Such a carrier-directed response may be determined by increase in inmunogenic ity of weak antigenic determinants and/or by the exposure of internall y located determinants upon complex formation with polyelectrolytes, F usions following the two different immunization procedures resulted in the growth of comparable numbers of estradiol-specific monoclonal ant ibodies with apparently similar antigen affinities, Thus, immunization s using antigens in PEC appear to provide an efficient alternative to IFA.