Synthesis of human immunoglobulins in vitro: comparison of two assays of secreted immunoglobulin.

One consequence of B-lymphocyte activation is immunoglobulin production, which can be quantitated by various techniques. We have compared assay of plaque forming cell (PFC) and determination of immunoglobulins by ELISA in culture supernatants of human lymphocytes stimulated with pokeweed mitogen and with Staphylococcus aureus. These assays correlated well (r greater than 0.77) in all major immunoglobulin classes studied. The close correlation suggests that determination of secreted immunoglobulins by ELISA may be substituted for the PFC assay.