Immunoradiometric assay for examination and quantitation of Brucella abortus-specific antibodies reactive with the antigen(s) used in the indirect hemolysis test.

An immunoradiometric assay was designed to quantitate antibodies which bind to Brucella abortus antigens adsorbed to bovine erythrocytes. This allowed examination of antibodies specific for B. abortus antigens detectable in the indirect hemolysis test for bovine brucellosis. Assay parameters were optimized for measuring antigen-specific immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1), IgG2, and IgM antibodies. The immunoradiometric assay allowed examination of binding interactions which occur during the indirect hemolysis test. Affinity-purified antibovine IgG1, IgG2, and IgM were used to detect specific bovine antibodies of these classes (and subclasses). The binding of the anti-immunoglobulins was linear as a function of immunoglobulin concentration. However, the binding of bovine antibodies of the different classes and subclasses to B. abortus antigen was nonlinear. Since B. abortus-specific antibodies of all classes and subclasses were present in the "standard serum" during the immunoradiometric assays, it is possible that the non-linearity was due to competition between antibodies for antigenic sites. IgG2 and IgM antibodies specific for B. abortus antigen(s) appeared to be capable of binding independently to antigen(s). However, the binding efficiencies of IgG1 antibodies changed as the ratio of antigenic sites to antibodies was increased.