Chapter 50, Problem 1DA

How would a high level of HCG present in a urine sample be indicated in this agglutination test?

Summary Introduction

To determine: How would a high level of hCG hormone available in a urine sample be represented in the agglutination test.

Introduction: Monoclonal antibodies refer to the antibodies that show specificity for a single epitope alone. In monoclonal antibody preparation, a vertebrate animal, typically a mouse is immunized with an antigen several times and is killed subsequently. The B lymphocytes are combined with cancerous multiple myeloma cells using a procedure described in 1975. These myeloma cells exhibit all the properties of plasma cells, but the immunoglobulins secretion. In a suitable medium, these cells can survive forever and they will multiply indefinitely. Thus, they continuously secrete identical, monoclonal antibodies in large quantities.

Explanation of Solution

The availability of huge amounts of pure monoclonal antibodies has let the development of highly sensitive clinical lab tests. A few pregnancy tests utilize a monoclonal antibody that is produced against the human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) hormone. The test utilizes hCG-coated latex particles and it is exposed to an anti-hCG antibody and a urine sample. If the urine sample includes high level of hCG hormone, it will hinder attachment of antibodies to the hCG-coated latex particles and prevent their clumping (agglutination), representing pregnancy depending on the availability of hCG.