Production of a new monoclonal antibody specific to human des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin in the presence of calcium ions. Application to the development of a sensitive ELISA-test.

In order to explore pathologies possibly associated with vitamin K deficiency, several monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were produced against human Desgamma-Carboxy-Prothrombin (DCP). One of these mAbs, designated C4B6, detected DCP forms in the presence of Calcium ions, confirmed by comparison with the patterns of two electrophoretic techniques: Affino-Immuno-Electrophoresis (CAIE) and Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis followed by Electro-blotting (PAGE-Blot). An Enzyme-Linked-Imunosorbent Assay (ELISA) using mAb C4B6 has been developed, optimized and standardized. It has proven to be specific for DCP forms and has a minimum sensitivity of 0.156 A.U/ml.