Determination of anti-idiotype antibodies by surface plasmon resonance.

A method based on surface plasmon resonance has been used to detect and to quantitate antibodies against other antibodies. This method has been applied to the detection of syngeneic antibodies. Concentrations as low as 0.3 microg/ml could be detected even when the antibodies were present in undiluted serum. Quantitation of both monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies could be performed. Anti-idiotype antibodies could be detected equally well against an IgM molecule derived directly from the B cell tumour or against a chimeric protein composed of the same idiotypic determinants embedded in a human IgG molecule. Surface plasmon resonance will be the method of choice for the detection of antibody responses in humans vaccinated against idiotypic determinants of their own tumour.