Antibodies to histamine. Specificity studies and radioimmunological assay.

Antibodies against conjugated histamine were raised in rabbits. This amine was coupled to different protein carriers by a bifunctional agent, hexamethylene diisocyanate. The specificity of the antibodies was determined with radioimmunological tests in equilibrium dialysis using an iodinated ligand: 125I-labelled histamine-hexamethylene diisocyanate-glycyl-tyrosine. The latter mimicked the antigenic determinant present in immunogens. Competition experiments were established between the radiolabelled ligand and conjugated histamine, conjugated analogs or unconjugated histamine. Cross-reactivity ratios and affinity constants were calculated from displacement curves, thereby allowing the antibody site to be characterized. The antibodies were found to be highly specific and were used for the assay of histamine in biological samples. For this, polystyrene beads coated with purified antiserum were used to establish a simple and reproducible test.