Immunochemical studies of infectious mononucleosis. VI. A radioimmunoassay for the detection of infectious mononucleosis heterophile antibody and antigen

The coated-tube method of solid-phase radioimmunoassay has been adapted to the detection of heterophile antibodies and antigens of infectious mononucleosis. Disposable plastic hemagglutination trays were coated with purified glycoprotein from horse erythrocytes and the subsequent uptake of antibody from test sera was detected by radioiodinated horse erythrocyte glycoprotein. In a preliminary survey of sera from patients with infectious mononucleosis and sera from controls, the assay proved highly sensitive and specific. The test system was also useful in a competitive binding assay for immuno-chemical studies of glycoproteins from other heterophile antigen-positive species.