The Binding Site Group Limited

Alta Diagnostic Machines Limited

Arthur Randall Bradwell

Graham Peter Mead

Hugh Carr Smith

Ian Deverill

Graham Mead

The application provides competition assays used to detect free-light chains or intact immunoglobulins comprising incubating the sample with anti-FLC antibody, or heavy chain class-light chain type-specific antibodies, or fragments of such antibodies, and a known amount of FLC or intact immunoglobulin and detecting the binding of the antibody to the known amount of FLC or immunoglobulin. Assay kits and methods of producing particles coated with FLC are also provided.

Competition assay

The present invention is directed to antibodies having specificity for a heavy chain class at the same time as having specificity for a first light chain. Such antibodies can be used in a method of detecting or monitoring a malignant plasma cell disease comprising determining in a sample the ratio between the relative amounts of immunoglobulins having:

Antibodies for detecting or monitoring a malignant plasma cell disease

A method of detecting or monitoring a malignant plasma cell disease comprising detecting in a sample the ratio between the relative amounts of immunoglobulins having:

Method of detecting or monitoring a malignant plasma cell disease

A method of detecting or monitoring a malignant plasma cell disease comprising detecting in a sample the ratio between the relative amounts of immunoglobulins having: (i) a heavy chain class bound to &#x3bb; light chains; and (ii) immunoglobulins having the same heavy chain class but bound to &#x3ba; light chains. Preferably the ratio is determined by (1) a method wherein the ratio is determined using: (i) an antibody, or a fragment thereof, having specificity for a heavy chain class at the same time as having specificity for a first light chain in combination with either: (ii) an antibody, or a fragment thereof, having specificity for the heavy chain class at the same time as having specificity for the second light chain; or (iii) an antibody, or fragment thereof, having specificity for the heavy chain and a further antibody, or fragment thereof, having specificity for the second light chain. (2) a method wherein the ratio is determined using: (i) at least one antibody, or a fragment thereof, specific for the heavy chain class; (ii) an antibody, or a fragment thereof, specific for &#x3bb; light chains; and (iii) an antibody, or a fragment thereof, specific for &#x3ba; light chains; or Antibodies specific for a heavy chain class at the same time as having specificity for a specific light chain are also provided.

A method and apparatus for use in quantifying, in a whole blood sample in which the red cells are lysed, a component which will react with a reagent to form an antigen-antibody complex, the method comprising mixing the sample with the reagent to obtain the complex, exposing the sample to a source of radiation and measuring the intensity of radiation scattered through a given angle by the complex, and the apparatus including a container for receiving the sample which has been treated with the reagent to the component, the container being transparent to radiation having a wavelength falling within a given band width, typically 460-530 nm. A source of radiation within this band width is provided together with a device for detecting the intensity of radiation scattered through a given angle by the sample.

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Birmingham, United Kingdom

Arthur Randall Bradwell