A simple and sensitive solid-phase radioimmunoassay for the assay of human TSH antibody. Use in screening hybridoma cell lines.

A simple and sensitive radioimmunoassay procedure is described for the screening and detection of specific antibodies in hybridoma cell lines. The specific procedure was developed to screen for antibodies against human thyrotropin (hTSH), but the procedure is applicable to screening for any desired antibodies. The immunoglobulin G(IgG) fraction of goat anti-mouse IgG is used to coat wells of microtiter plates. Anti-hTSH antibodies are measured by incubating antiserum dilutions in the coated wells and detecting the bound IgG with radioiodinated hTSH. Unlabeled hTSH may also be detected by its ability to inhibit binding of 125I-hTSH to the coated wells. This assay technique meets the demands of simplicity, sensitivity, reproducibility, and rapidity as a screening assay of hybridoma cell lines capable of secreting anti h-TSH.