An automated particle counting immunoassay (PACIA) for determination of blocking antibodies against timothy grass pollen in sera from desensitized allergics.

An automated particle counting immunoassay (PACIA) for measurement of blocking antibodies (antigen neutralizing capacity) against timothy grass pollen extract in sera from desensitized allergics is described. Latex particles coated with F(ab')2-anti-timothy are agglutinated by timothy. Serum containing anti-timothy antibodies inhibits the agglutination. Non-agglutinated particles are counted in a modified AutoCounter. Nineteen of 20 sera from timothy allergics who had undergone immunotherapy with purified timothy extract for 30 weeks, showed significant agglutination-inhibition. None of 42 normal human sera gave significant inhibition. The inhibiting antibody could be removed by absorption with protein A and was thus of non-IgE nature, i.e. blocking antibody. The results obtained correlated statistically significantly with those found with a double-antibody method (rS = 0.62, n = 20, t = 3.35, P less than 0.01) and with the cumulated dosage of timothy allergen extract administered to the individual patient (rS = 0.56, n = 20, t = 2.87, P less than 0.02). Between-assay coefficient of variation was from 6.4% to 18.3%. The capacity is 40 samples per hour. The method has also been applied to measurement of blocking antibodies to honey bee and wasp venom.