Human Antibodies to Bovine γ-Globulin

Abstract

Antibodies to bovine γ-globulin (anti-BGG antibodies) were detectable by a radio-immunoassay in 70% of healthy blood donors but, generally, the titres were low. Significantly increased concentrations of anti-BGG antibodies were found in patients lacking IgA but not in patients with allergic disorders. The anti-BGG antibodies were shown to give rise to falsely high IgE values in the radio-immunosorbent test for IgE determination (RIST) when a sheep anti-IgE antiserum was used. Furthermore, falsely positive results can sometimes be caused by such antibodies in the determination of cow-dander- or cow’s-milk-specific IgE by the radio-allergosorbent test (RAST). When a rabbit anti-IgE antiserum was used instead of the sheep anti-IgE, normal IgE levels and negative RAST results were obtained. The difference is explained by the higher degree of cross-reactivity between the anti-BGG antibodies and sheep γ-globulin than between anti-BGG antibodies and rabbit γ-globulin.

Inadvertent BSA‐induced elution of IgE in the BSA‐RAST

“…It was confirmed in the current report that sheep IgG should be present during incubation with radioactive sheep anti‐IgE in a FCS‐RAST. This has been reported previously for RAST experiments with allergen extracts containing sheep or cow IgG as in meat, milk, or dander (2). If bivalent antibodies to bovine or ovine IgG are present in human serum, false‐positive results may be obtained by binding of these human antibodies with one antigen‐binding site to IgG on Sepharose, and with the other site to radioactive sheep antihuman IgE.…”

“…The latter reagent is often diluted in a buffer containing bovine, sheep, or horse serum. If the solid phase contains some immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgG in heterologous serum must be present to prevent binding of labeled antihuman IgE via bivalent human antibodies directed to heterologous IgG (2). Bovine serum albumin (BSA) is a widely used blocker in, for example, ELISAs and immunoblotting experiments.…”

Occurrence of Specific Precipitins against Bovine Whey Proteins in Serum from Children with Gastrointestinal Disorders

“…From this material it has not been possible to state any statistically significant connection between presence of specific precipitins and serum IgA deficiency as reported earlier by Buckley and Dees [1969] and Fouchard et al [1975]. The investigation for bovine whey-specific IgE by means of RAST, CRIE and skin test showed clearly that none of the patients with cow's milk intoler ance had a type I allergic reaction against antigens of cow's milk and cow hair and dandruff.…”

“…haemagglutination [Buckley and Dees, 1969). Farr technique [Rothberg and Farr, 1965], single radial immunodiffusion (To masi and Katz, 1971] and radioimmunoas say [Fouchard et al, 1975] did not allow determination of the specificity of the pre cipitins unless pure protein antigens or monospecific antibodies were employed. The recent development of the quantitative immunoelectrophoretic technique allowed determination of the different specificities of the precipitins without the use of purified antigens or monospecific antibodies.…”

Mouse Monoclonal Anti-HBs and Its Use in the Screening of Donated Blood by Elisa

“…This decrease was retained upon converting the Elisa to a 1-hour assay and is thought to result from the antibody heterogeneity (sheep capture antibody, mouse conjugate antibody) in this system. The presence of heterophile antibodies to bovine gammaglobulin in 70% of donated blood [4] and the cross-reactivity with sheep IgG of these antibodies also accounts for the non-specificity observed in immunoassays where antibodies from the same species are used in the solid phase and the conjugate. In our experience dilution of the conjugate in buffer containing neutral human and sheep serum eliminates many screen false-positives that may result from this type of activ ity and it was therefore retained in the con jugate diluent of the Elisa described here.…”