Immunological characterization and detection of the major core protein p24 of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) using monoclonal antibodies.

Eight different monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were raised against a lysate of the HTLV-IIIb isolate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). All eight MAbs recognized the major core protein p24 as well as the gag precursors p39 and p55. Three different epitopes were defined by the eight MAbs when an antigen-catching ELISA was used as the test system. An antigen-catching ELISA for p24 was developed by use of two of the MAbs defining two different epitopes. This ELISA system was applied to the detection of p24 in culture supernatants from lymphocyte cultures of 13 different HIV isolates. The present p24 detecting ELISA proved useful for characterization of different isolates of HIV. Further, two MAbs from the present panel of antibodies were demonstrated to be sensitive and specific probes for the immunohistological detection of p24 protein in tissue sections of lymphoid tissue.