LATENT IMMUNIZATION TO PRODUCE HIGH-AFFINITY MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES TOPROGESTERONE

A simple immunization method to obtain high-affinity monoclonal antibo dies to progesterone is described in this article, The method is based on the theory of affinity maturation, A long interval between antigen priming and booster (''latent immunization'') permits an undisturbed completion of affinity maturation, resulting in the accumulation of me mory B lymphocytes with high-affinity Ig receptors, and consequently, in a higher rate of hybridoma clones producing high-affinity antibody after cell fusion, Antibodies obtained after hyperimmunization and lat ent immunization are compared in a homologous, direct, competitive ELI SA. The average numbers of high-affinity antibodies per fusion were 1. 3 and 5.7 in the hyperimmunized and latent immunized groups, respectiv ely, There was no significant difference in the specificities between the two immunization groups.