Preparation and antigenic properties of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate-bovine serum albumin conjugates having a linkage through the position in ring D.

The preparation and antigenic properties of two different types of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate-bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugates in which the hapten is linked to the carrier protein through the C-17 or C-15 position have been described. Antibodies raised against these antigens in rabbits possessed the high affinity (Ka = 1.43 x 10(9)--2.20 x 10(9) M-1) to dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate. Antiserum elicited by immunization with the hapten-15 beta-BSA conjugate was specific to dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, exhibiting no significant cross-reactivities for other sulfated steroids and no cross-reactions for free steroids and their glucuronides with an exception of 16 alpha-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone 3-sulfate (16.8%).