Progesterone-specific antibody - for immunoassay of progesterone

摘要

An antibody which is highly specific for the formation of complexes with progesterone is produced by conjugating a hemisuccinate of a hydroxyprogesterone which an antigenic protein having free amino gps., administering the conjugate parenterally to mammals for a period of 1-4 weeks in doses of 0.1-10 mg., collecting serum from the animals at suitable intervals, and separating off the non-specific antibodies. The antibody produced is of the immunoglobulin G class, has a high degree of specificity for progesterone, and has a molecular wt. of ca 140,000-170,000 and a sedimentation constant of 7s. The new antibody enables quantitative tests for progesterone to be developed which are simpler and more accrate than known methods; a radioimmunological assay and an immunoagglutination assay for progesterone are claimed in the specification. Also claimed are conjugates of certain hydroxyprogesterone hemisuccinates and antigenic protenis coupled with latex particles of dia.