Detection of polymorphic rat MHC antigen determinants in cryostat sections. A method for selecting monoclonal alloantibodies.

An immunohistological method for detection of rat MHC antigens by unconjugated primary alloantibodies is described. The procedure is based on secondary reagents specific for an allotypic marker of rat kappa light chains and makes possible differentiation between specifically bound alloantibody and the ubiquitously distributed interstitial immunoglobulin in the section. This technique can be used to pre-select monoclonal antibodies to be coupled to biotin or enzymes for histological application.