Intrinsic tritium labeling of the capsular polysaccharide antigen of Haemophilus influenzae type B

J Immunol. 1978 Mar;120(3):866-70.

Abstract

The capsular polysaccharide of Haemophilus influenzae type b was intrinsically labeled with tritium by a microculture technique with 6-3H-D-glucose and was isolated in radioantigenically pure form by a combination of selective precipitation and molecular sieve chromatography. Labeling with tritated sugar residues approached one-fourth maximum and produced a specific activity 10-fold that previously described for extrinsic labeling methods. In radioantigen-binding assays for antibody, sensitivity depended on the size of the antigen; preparations were readily made that could detect 0.01 microgram Ab/ml in serum samples of 25 microliter. Stability of the labeled antigen appears limited only by the primary radiodecomposition of tritium.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, Bacterial*
  • Binding Sites, Antibody
  • Chloramphenicol / pharmacology
  • Chromatography, Gel
  • Epitopes
  • Haemophilus influenzae / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial / immunology
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial / metabolism*
  • Rabbits
  • Tritium

Substances

  • Antigens, Bacterial
  • Epitopes
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial
  • Tritium
  • Chloramphenicol