Antibody-dependent test battery

ANTIBODY AND DETECTION SYSTEM -DEPENDENT TEST BATTERY... 

Although the novel AR protocol using citraconic anhydride improved the intensity of IHC on FFPE tissue sections for more than half of the antibodies tested, compared to that achieved by other conventional AR protocols, not all antibodies benefitted, which would argue that the citraconic anhydride method does not serve as a truly universal AR protocol. Indeed, many investigators (Table 1.2) have concluded that different antigens may require different specific AR protocols. In this respect, the test battery is a convenient and cost-effective method for assessing the appropriate AR protocol.2,8 Nevertheless, the present data certainly support inclusion of the citraconic anhydride AR method in such a test battery. With respect to the two heating temperatures for citraconic anhydride, the ultimate choice of method for any laboratory may depend on the equipment available. 

Whereas the experimental design is quite standardized regarding maternal aspects, the duration of postnatal infant assessments is rather variable between studies, for example, from 7 days to 720 days in our experience. Evidently there is a need for standardization of the timing and type of test batteries for infants and of the time period the infant should be raised. For behavioral tests, a postnatal observation period of 9 months appears essential since these tests can only by applied from the age of 6 months onward. For evaluation of immune system development, a period of 6 months appears mandatory since from that age onward blood volume is sufficient to conduct several tests, such as the T cell dependent antibody response (TDAR), NK cell... 

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