AU626563B2

AU626563B2 - Ion-capture reagents and methods for performing binding assays

Info

Publication number: AU626563B2
Application number: AU38913/89A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Robert G. Hiltibran; Yi-Her Jou; Stephen Denham Stroupe
Original assignee: Abbott Laboratories
Current assignee: Abbott Laboratories
Priority date: 1988-01-29
Filing date: 1989-07-25
Publication date: 1992-08-06
Anticipated expiration: 2009-01-20
Also published as: AU3891389A

Description

i i 626563 S F Ref: 101893 FORM COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE: Class Int Class 4, 9.

44 4 4 Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: Name and Address of Applicant: 0 t Abbott Laboratories One Abbott Park Road Abbott Park Illinois 60064-3500 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia Address for Service: S, Complete Specification for the invention entitled: Ion-Capture Reagents and Methods for Performing Binding Assays The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us 5845/3 i I h U- I

ABSTRACT

This invention presents novel reagents, separation techniques and assay procedures which allow both the indicator and the capture reagents to be in solution to avoid problems of slowed immunoreaction kinetics. The separation procedure involves a soluble capture reagent, comprising a specific binding member attached to a charged substance, and an insoluble solid phase that is oppositely charged with respect to the capture reagent. A test sample suspected of containing the analyte of interest is mixed with the capture reagent to form a charged capture reagent/analyte complex. The reaction mixture is contacted to the 1 0 oppositely charged solid phase to attract, attach, and separate the capture reagent/analyte complex from the reaction mixture. With an appropriate indicator reagent, a second specific binding substance which is conjugated to a label capable of producing a detectable signal, both sandwich and competitive assays can be performed.

f 0oo o 0o 0 0o 0 0000 0 o0 0 6 S0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0o4 0 0 a 000 0 0i ION-CAPTURE REAGENTS AND METHODS FOR PERFORMING BINDING ASSAYS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to the field of binding assay devices and methods. In particular, the present invention relates to novel methods and products useful in the performance of homogeneous immunoassays.

2. Description of Related Art Various analytical procedures and devices are commonly employed in assays to determine the presence and/or concentration of substances of interest or clinical significance which may bo present in biological liquids or other materials. Such substances are commonly termed "analytes" and can include antibodies, antigens, drugs, hormones, etc.

Immunoassay techniques take advantage of the mechanisms of the immune systems of higher organisms, wherein antibodies are produced in response to the presence of antigens 2'0 which are pathogenic or foreign to the organisms. These antibodies and antigens, i.e., o immunoreactants, are capable of binding with one another, thereby creating a highly specific reaction mechanism which can be used in vitro to determine the presence or o concentration of that particular antigen in a biological sample.

There are several known immunoassay methods using immunoreactants, wherein at 25 least one of the immunoreactants is labeled with a detectable component so as to be analytically identifiable. For example, the "sandwich" or "two-site" technique may involve the formation of a ternary complex between an antigen and two antibodies. A convenient method of detecting complex formation in such a technique is to provide one labeled antibody OI/ and an unlabeled antibody bound to a solid phase support such that the complex can readily be o '30 isolated. In this example, the amount of labeled antibody associated with the solid phase is 000 directly proportional to the amount of analyte in the test sample.

An alternative technique is the "competitive" assay. In one example of a competitive assay', the capture mechanism again may use an antibody attached to an insoluble solid phase, 4 but a labeled analyte (rather than a labeled antibody) competes with the analyte present in 35 the test sample for binding to the immobilized antibody. Similarly, an immobilized analyte Go can compete with the analyte of interest for a labeled antibody. In these competitive assays, 2 -2the quantity of captured labeled reagent is inversely proportional to the amount of analyte present in the sample.

Despite their great utility, there are disadvantages with such assay methods. First, the heterogenous reaction mixture of soluble and insoluble reagents, and liquid test sample, can retard the kinetics of the reaction. In comparison to a liquid phase reaction wherein all reagents are soluble, i.e. a homogeneous reaction mixture, the heterogenous reaction mixture can require longer incubation periods for equilibrium to be reached in the reaction mixture between the insoluble solid phase system, the free analyte in the test sample, the soluble labeled reagent, and the newly formed insoluble complex. Second, conventional methods of attaching binding members to the solid phase material, such as adsorption of antibody to the solid phase, can produce a solid phase which will readily bind substances other than the analyte.

This is referred to as nonspecific binding and can interfere with the detection of a positive result. Third, with conventional immobilization methods, separate batches of manufactured solid phase reagents can contain variable amounts of immobilized binding member.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 0 20 The present invention provides novel capture reagents to facilitate the observation of a detectable signal by separating the analyte and/or indicator reagent from the other'assay reagents or test sample. The capture reagents comprise one or more anionic molecules attached to a specific binding member. The present invention also involves activated 25 polymeric anionic molecules; a method for modifying terminal amino groups on polymeric anionic molecules; and a method for detecting an analyte in a test sample. A readily adapted anionic molecule is an activated SS s polymeric anionic molecule having the formula given below: I *I

I

0 X-(NH-CH-C)n-NH-CH-COO-

S(CH

2 )z (CH 2 )z I I COO- COO" W( wherein n is about 10 to about 500; KEH/334f 2A z is about 1 to about 6; W is selected from the group consisting of H Na K Li amine salts, and derivatives thereof; and X is a reactive group or a structure having a reactive group which chemically binds said activated polymer to a specific binding member.

An example of an amine salt from which W may be chosen is

H+NR

3 X may be selected from an amine-reactive moiety, a thiol-reactive moiety or a thiol moiety with which the specific binding member will react.

According to a first embodiment of this invention, there is provided an activated polymeric anionic molecule having the formula: 0 .9 II X-(NH-CH-C) -NH-CH-COO 0..1 (H 2 )z (CH 2 )z CO0 COO N 00 (n+2) wherein n is about 10 to about 500; z is about 1 to about 6; N is selected from the group consisting of H Na K Li amine salts, and derivatives thereof; and X is a reactive group or a structure having a reactive group which chemically binds said activated polymer to a specific binding member, with the proviso that the activated polymeric anionic molecule is not polyglutamic acid.

According to a second embodiment of this invention, there is provided a negatively charged capture reagent, comprising the reaction product of: a. a specific binding member; and b. an activated polymeric anionic molecule having the formula: 0 SX-(NH-CH-C) -NH-CH-COO I n I (CH2)z (CH 2 z COO COO (n+2) (n+2) wherein n is about 10 to about 500; Sz is about 1 to about 6; YRI. 1 b889Z

V"

2B N is selected from the group consisting of Na+, Li+ amine salts, and derivatives thereof; and X comprises a spacer of about one to about thirty atoms and a reactive group selected from the group consisting of an amine-reactive moiety, a thio-reactive moiety, a thiol moiety and a thiol precursor moiety.

According to a third embodiment of this invention, there is provided a negatively charged capture reagent, comprising the reaction product of: a. a specific binding member having an amine-reactive group; and b. a polymeric anionic molecule having the formula: 0

II

X-(NH-CH-C) -NH-CH-COO S(CH2) z

(CH

2 oCOO COO Nn 2 eooo 00 0 Ln+2) wherein n is about 10 to about 500; z is about 1 to about 6; W is selected from the group consisting of H Na K Li+, S 15 amine salts, and derivatives thereof; and X is H.

According to a fourth embodiment of the invention there is provided a method for detecting an analyte in a test sample, comprising the steps of: a) contacting the analyte with a capture reagent, comprising a first specific binding member conjugated to a polymeric anionic molecule according to the first embodiment or a polymeric cation, and an indicator reagent, comprising a specific binding member conjugated to a label capable of producing a detectable signal, thereby forming a reaction mixture, wherein said capture reagent is capable of binding a member selected from the group consisting of the analyte, an ancillary specific binding member, said indicator reagent and a complex thereof, and wherein said indicator reagent is capable of binding a member se'ected from the group consisting of the analyte, an ancillary specific binding member, said capture reagent and a complex thereof, b) contacting said reaction mixture with a solid phase having an i -R /0889Z ^L i f- i 2C opposite charge with respect to said capture reagent, whereby said solid phase attracts and attaches to said polymeric anion or a polymeric cation, thereby enabling the separation of said capture reagent and complexes thereof from said reaction mixture; and c) detecting said label associated with said solid phase or said reaction mixture as an indication of the presence or amount of the analyte in the sample.

0*g *Pooa os a 0 4 0 c 04 00 o o o oo o t o a "0 o o) o t a o1 0 RLF/0889Z Alternatively, X can represent a specific binding member which has been activated to bind the polymeric anionic molecule. Activation methods are also described by which one or more reactive groups are formed upon the specific binding member or the polymeric anion.

The specific binding member component of the capture reagent can be either a hapten or a macromolecule. The charged capture reagent enables homogeneous assay and separation reactions wherein the reaction complexes can be removed from the reaction mixture by contacting the mixture with an oppositely chargld solid phase. Virtually any binding assay (sandwich assays, competitive assays, indirect assays using ancillary specific binding members, inhibition assays, etc.) can be adapted to use the novel capture reagents.

1 0 The present invention brings two adv,ntages to binding assays: a) the use of liquid phase kinetics in the binding reaction facilitates the formation of a complex from the homogeneous mixture of analyte and assay reagents, and b) it increases the potential number of complexes that can be immobilized on the solid support.

The invention can also be used in a separation procedure wherein the capture reagent is conjugated to a charged substance. A liquid sample suspected of containing the analyte to be separated is mixed with ne capturo reagent in solution to form a charged complex.

Following the binding reaction, the solution is contacted to an oppositely charged solid phase to attract, attach, and separate the newly formed complex from the liquid sample.

If liquid phase kinetics are not sought, the present invention also provides an o 20 efficient method of immobilizing binding members on a solid phase through a method other than absorption, adsorption or covalent binding.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION S The assay methods and reagents of thc present invention can be used in a variety of immunoassay formats. The present invention, howevgr, is not limited to immunoreactive assays. Any assays using specific binding reactions between the analyte and assay reagents can be performed.

0 04 0 0 0 o oo30 Deflnit 2U~L The following definitions are applicable to the present invention.

The term "specific binding member", as used herein, refers to a member of a S specific binding pair, two different molecules where one of the molecules through 35 chemical or physical means specifically binds to the second molecule. In addition to antigen 4 Q4 and antibody-specific binding pairs, other specific binding pairs include biotin and avidin, carbohydrates and lectins, complementary nucleotide sequences (including probe and capture nucleic acid sequences used in DNA hybridization assays to detect a target nucleic acid sequence), complementary peptide sequences including those formed by recombinant methods, effector and receptor molecules, hormone and hormone binding protein, enzyme cofactors and enzymes, enzyme inhibitors and enzymes, and the like. Furthermore, specific binding pairs can include members that are analogs of the original specific binding member.

For example, a derivative or fragment of the analyte, an analyte-analog, can be used so long as it has at least one epitope in common with the analyte. Immunoreactive specific binding members include antigens, haptens, antibodies, and complexes thereof including 1 0 those formed by recombinant DNA methods or pptide synthesis. An antibody can be a monoclonal or polyclonal antibody, a recombinant protein or a mixture(s) or fragment(s) thereof, as well as a mixture of an antibody and other specific binding members. The details of the preparation of such antibodies and their suitability for use as specific binding members are well known to those skilled in the art.

The term "hapten", as used herein, refers to a partial antigen or non-protein binding member which is capable of binding to an antibody, but which is not capable of eliciting antibody formation unless coupled to a carrier protein.

The term "test sample", as used herein, refers to virtually any liquid sample. The test sample can be derived from any desired source, such as a physiological fluid, for "oo 20 exampie, blood, saliva, ocular lens fluid, cerebral spinal fluid, sweat, urine, milk, ascites fluid, mucous, synovial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid or the like. The liquid test 0sample can be pretreated prior to use, such as preparing plasma from blood, diluting viscous liquids, or the like, :,ethods of treatment can also involve separation, filtration, o distillation, concentration, inactivation of interfering components, and the addition of 2" reagents. Besides physiological fluids, other liquid samples such as water, food products and th" like can be used. In addition, a solid can be used once it is modified to form a liquid medium.

"Analyte", as used herein, is the substance to be detected in or separated from the ooeo test sample using the present invention. The analyte can be any substance for which there S3 0 exists a naturally occurring specific binding member or for which a specific binding member can be prepared. In addition, the analyte may bind to more than one specific binding member. "Analyte" also includes any antigenic substances, haptens, antibodies, and combinations thereof. The analyte can include a protein, a peptide, an amino acid, a hormone, a steroid, a vitamin, a drug including those administered for therapeutic purposes '35 as well as those administered for illicit purposes, a bacterium, a virus, and metabolites of o- or antibodies to any of the above substances.

S 4 4r -mm~tn trc~r-v -r The term "analyte-analog", as used herein, refers to a substance which cross-reacts with an analyte-specific binding member, although it may do so to a greater or a lesser extent than does the analyte itself.

The analyte-analog can include a modified analyte as well as a fragmented or synthetic portion of the analyte molecule so long as the analyte-analog has at least one epitopic site in common with the analyte of interest.

The term "label", as used herein, refers to any substance which is attached to a specific binding member and which is capable of producing a signal that is detectable by visual or instrumental means. Various suitable labels for use in the present invention can include chromogens; catalysts; fluorescent compounds; chemiluminescent compounds; radioactive labels; direct visual labels including colloidal metallic and 0 0 1 non-metallic particles, dye particles, enzymes or substrates, or organic 15 polymer latex particles; liposomes or other vesicles containing signal producing substances; and the like.

A large number of enzymes suitable for use as labels are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,275,149, columns 19-23, herein incorporated by reference. An example of an enzyme/substrate signal producing system useful in the present invention is the enzyme alkaline phosphatase and the substrate nitro blue tetrazolium-5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl phosphate or a derivative or analog thereof.

In an alternative signal producing system, the label can be a fluorescent compound where no enzymatic manipulation of the label is S 25 required to produce a detectable signal. Fluorescent molecules such as :o fluorescein, phycobiliprotein, rhodamine and their derivatives and analogs are suitable for use as labels in this reaction.

In an especially preferred embodiment, a visually detectable, colored particle can be used as the label component of the indicator reagent, thereby providing for a direct colored readout of the presence or concentration of the analyte in the sample without the need for further signal producing reagents. Materials for use as the colored particles are colloidal metals, such as gold, and dye particles as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,313,734 and 4,373,932. The preparation and use of non-metallic colloids, such as colloidal selenium particles, are disclosed in co-owned U.S. Patent No. 4,954,452, filed July 9, 1987.

-EH/334f i

I-

L~C~ U- -~~~4TICID~ PL~ 5A The use of colloidal particle labels in immunochromatography is disclosed in co-owned and copending Australian Patent Application No. 18933/88.

Organic polymer latex particles for use as labels are disclosed in co-owned and copending Australian Patent Application No. 41479/89.

A "signal producing component", as used herein, refers to any substance capable of reacting with another assay reagent or the analyte to produce a reaction product or signal that indicates the presence of the analyte and that is detectable by visual or instrumental mo n4 So a 0 a o w o A 6 04 0 0 0 6 o o 8~ a ft ln'< KEH/334f ~C~Ps~ V means. "Signal production system", as used herein, refers to the group of assay reagents that are needed to produce the desired reaction product or signal. For example, one or more signal producing components can be used to react with a label and generate the detectable signal, when the label is an enzyme, amplification of the detectable signal is obtained by reacting the enzyme with one or more substrates or additional enzymes to produce a detectable reaction product.

An "indicator reagent", as used herein, refers to a label attached to a specific binding member. The indicator reagent produces a detectable signal at a level relative to the amount of an analyte in the test sample. Generally, the indicator reagent is detected or measured 1 0 after it is captured on the solid phase material, but the unbound indicator reagent can also be measured to determine the result of an assay.

The specific binding member of the indicator reagent is capable of binding either to the analyte as in a sandwich assay, to the capture reagent as in a competitive assay, or to an ancillary specific binding member as in an indirect assay. The label, as described above, enables the indicator reagent to produce a detectable signal that is related to the amount of analyte in the test sample. The specific binding merinber component of the indicator reagent enables the indirect binding of the label to the analyte, to an ancillary sjecfic binding member or to the capture reagent. The selection of a particular label is not critical, but the label will be capable of generating a detectable signal either by itself, such as a visually 0" 20 detectable signal generated by colored organic polymer latex particles, or in conjunction with one or more additional signal producing components, such as an enzyme/substrate signal producing system. A variety of different indicator reagents can be formed by varying either the label or the specific binding member; it will be appreciated by one skilled in the 0 s °art that the choice involves consideration of the analyte to be detected and the desired means 00 00Q 25 of detection.

A "capture reagent", as used herein, refers to an unlabeled specific bindinq member attached to a charged substance. The attachment of the components is essentially irreversible and can include covalent mechanisms. The capture reagent is used to facilitate 0 0 the observation of the detectable signal by substantially separating the analyte and/or, t o o 030 indicator reagent from other assay reagents and the remaining test sample. The specific binding member can be a small molecule, such as a hapten or small peptide, so long as the 0O attachment to the charged substance does not interfere with the binding member's binding site.

The specific binding member of the capture reagent is specific either for the analyte °3 5 as in a sandwich assay, for the indicator reagent or analyte as in a competitive assay, or for an ancillary specific binding member, which itself is specific for the analyte, as in an r indirect assay. The charged substance can include anionic and cationic monomers or polymers. For example, anionic polymers include polyglutamic acid (PGA), anionic protein or derivitized protein such as albumin, anionic polysaccharides such as heparin or alginic acid, polyaspartic acid, polyacrylic acid, and polyamino acids having a net negative charge at an appropriate pH (such as a pH in the range of 4 to 10.) Furthermore, the specific binding member can be joined to more than one charged monomer or polymer to increase the net charge associated with the capture reagent.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a negatively charged capture reagent can be prepared by conjugating a specific binding member to one or more activated polymeric 1 0 anionic molecules and conjugate bases thereof represented by the general formula: 0 X-(NH-CH-C) -NH-CH-COO-

(CH

2 )z (CH 2 )z I I COO- COO W(n+ 2 wherein n is about 10 to about 500; z is about 1 to about 6; W is chosen from Na+. K+, 1 5 Li amine salts such as H+NR 3 and derivatives thereof; and X is virtually any reactive group or moiety having a reactive group that enables the chemical binding of the specific Sbinding member and the polymer. X can be an amine-reactive group or moiety, a thiolreactive group or moiety, or a thiol group or moiety represented by -A-SH wherein A is a spacer arm. For example, a specific binding member having an amino group can be conjugated to an activated PGA anionic molecule having an amine-reactive moiety. The amine-reactive moieties enable the binding of the activated polymer to an amino group on a specific binding member and include, but are not limited to, those represented by the following formulas O O 1 II A- O

O

00 NH O O

NH

II II II

II

A-O-C-CI A-CH and the addition salts of A-C-O-R" 7 L'l e: 4 .i wherein m is two or three, R' is a sulfur stabilizer and R" is an aliphatic or aryl group.

Sulfur stabilizers include, but are not limited to, 2-pyridyl, 4-pyridyl and 5-nitro-2pyridyl groups. represents a spacer of about one to about thirty atoms including, but not limited to, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen atom chains and combinations thereof such as polyeiher, polymethylene and polyamide, as well as aromatic spacers such as phenylthiocarbamyl.

Alternatively, a specific binding member having a thiol group can be conjugated to an activated polymer having a thiol-reactive moiety. The thiol-reactive moieties include, but are not limited to, those represented by the following formulas

O

-A-N

O

-A-C-CH

2 -1 -A-S-S

O

-A-S-S N

-A-S-S

O

II

-S-C-CH

3 -A-S-S Q NQc

COOH

cic cia ga ci ca ci~ cia ci ci ci aQ a ci ci c (ci c ci!o wherein A is a spacer of about one to about thirty atoms as described above. In yet another alternative, a specific binding member having a thiol-reactive group can be linked to an 1 5 activated polymer having a thiol moiety such as -A-SH.

Typically, the negatively charged capture reagents of the following Examples were formed by reacting the desired specific binding member with an activated PGA molecule having modified terminal amino groups. Briefly, the modification method involved: 1) dissolving the PGA in a solvent a water miscible aprotic solvent such as dioxane, dimethylformamide, 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone and dimethyl sulfoxide); 2) adding a proton absorbing reagent 4-methyl morpholine)in the amount of about one equivalent per titratable carboxylic acid; 3) adding about a 2 to about a 100 molar excess of an aminereactive modification reagent 1,4-phenylene diisothiocyanate dissolved in dimethylformamide); 4) reacting the mixture; and 5) removing the unreacted amine- 25 reactive modification reagent. Suitable proton absorbing reagents include alkali metal hydroxides such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide or lithium hydroxide, and tertiary amines such as 4-methyl morpholine and triethylamine.

"he polymeric anionic molecule or the specific binding member will include one or more amino, carboxyl or thiol groups or can be activated by the incorporation of an amino, I 1C carboxyl or thiol group thereby enabling the chemical cross-linking of the specific binding member with the polymeric anionic molecule. "Activated species" refer to specific binding members and polymeric anionic molecules which contain a reactive group through the incorporation of a cross-linking or other activating agent. The amine-reactive modification reagents are a subclass of those reagents used to "activate" a specific binding member or polymeric anionic molecule, to prepare the specific binding member or the polymeric anionic molecule for chemical cross-linking. Activating agents also include thiol introducing agents such as the thiolanes (such as 2-iminothiolane), succinimidyl mercaptoacetates (such as N-succinimidyl-S-acetylmercaptoacetate), and disulfide 1 0 compounds which are subsequen,; reduced to a thiol. The thiol introducing agents can be used to activate specific binding members and solid phase materials for their subsequent reaction with a thiol-reactive group.

Amine-reactive modification reagents include, but are not limited to, bifunctional crosslinking or coupling agents, such as succinic anhydride analogs, iminothiolane analogs, homobifunctional reagents and heterobifunctional reagents, which enable the chemical cross-linking of the specific binding member and the polymeric anionic molecuJe. Examples of homobifunctional reagents can be represented by the formula X-A-X wherein X is an amine-reactive group and A is a spacer of about one to about thirty atoms. Examples of heterobifunctional reagents can be represented by the formula X-A-Y, wherein X is an 20 amine-reactive group, Y is a thiol-reactive moiety, a thiol moiety or J thiol precursor and A is a spacer of about one to about thirty atoms as described above. Proteinaceous specific binding members with cysteine residues at the protein's active site can have their activity °o decreased by the addition of a coupling agent, therefore t e cysteine residues in the active 44 °site must be protected, by means known in the art, prior to reacting the protein with the coupling agent.

The term "coupling agent", as used herein, includes bifunctional crosslinking or coupling agents, molecules containing two reactive groups or "ends", which may be tethered by a spacer. The reactive ends can be any of a variety of functionalities including, r but not limited to: amino reacting ends such as N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) active esters, 30 imidoesters, aldehydes, epoxides, sulfonyl halides, isocyanate, isothiocyanate, and nitroaryl halides; and thiol reacting ends such as pyridyl disulfides, maleimides, thiophthalimides, and active halogens. The heierobifunctional crosslinking reagents have two different reactive ends, an amino-reactive end and a thiol-reactive end, while homobifunctional reagents have two similar reactive ends, bismaleimidohexane (BMH) which permits 35 the cross-linking of sulfhydryl-containing compounds, and NHS homobifunctional crosslinkers such as disuccinimidyl suberate (DSS) as well as the water soluble analogs, 44* 10 sulfo-NHS esters (Pierce 1989 Handbook and General Catalog; Pierce, Rockford, IL, 61105-9976).

Other commercially available homobifunctional cross-linking reagents include, but are not limited to, the imidoesters such as dimethyl adipimidate dihydrochloride (DMA); dimethyl pimelimidate dihydrochloride (DMP); and dimethyl suberimidate dihydrochloride (DMS).

The iminothiolane analogs can be represented by the general formula:

NH

A wherein A is a spacer of about 1 to about 5 atoms, 2-iminothiolane (Traut's Reagent).

Commercially available heterobifunctional reagen's suitable for use in the present invention include, but are not limited to, maleimido-NHS active esters coupling agents such as m-maleimidobenzoyl-N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (MBS); succinimidyl 4-(N-maleimidomethyl)cyclohexane-l- S, 15 carboxylate (SMCC); succinimidyl 4-(p-maleimidophenyl)butyrate (SMPF) and derivatives thereof, including sulfosuccinimidyl derivatives such as sulfosuccinimidyl 4-(N-maleimido-methyl) cyclohexane-l-carboxylate (sulfo-SMCC); m-maleimidobenzoy-l-sulfosuccinimide ester (sulfo-MBS) and sulfosuccinimidyl 4-(p-maleimidophenyl)butyrate (sulfo-SMPB).

20 Other suitable heterobifunctional reagents include commercially o available active halogen-NHS active esters coupling agents such as N-succinimidyl bromoacetate and N-succinimidyl(4-iodoacetyl)aminobenzoate (SIAB) and the sulfosuccinimidyl derivatives such as sulfosuccinimidyl- (4-iodoacetyl)aminobenzoate (sulfo-SIAB). Another group of coupling agents is the heterobifunctional and thiol cleavable agents such as N-succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionate (SPDP).

Yet another group of coupling agents includes the extended length heterobifunctional coupling agents described in co-owned U.S. Patent Number 5002883 (filed October 11, 1988) and co-owned and copending Australian Application No. 24411/88 which are incorporated by reference herein. The extended length heterobifunctional coupling agents include male!mido-NHS active ester reagents wherein the spacer is represented by the formula: 0 i (amino acid), C- R- /<v'A~v\n

I.

wherein the amino acid is a substituted or unsubstituted amino acid, having from three to ten carbon atoms in a straight chain; n is from one to ten; and R is an alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkyl-cycloalkyl or an aromatic carboxylic ring. The term alkyl-cycloalkyl includes alkyl groups linked to cycloalkyl ring structures where the alkyl group links the cycloalkyl to a maleimide or carbonyl group. The term alkyl includes straight or branched alkyl groups, preferably lower alkyl groups having from one to six carbon atom If a spacer is present, the spacer can be any molecular chain that is non-reactive, stable and non-binding to the analyte or other specific binding members with which it will be used. The length of the spacer can be varied and can range from the size of a single atom 1 0 to the sizes disclosed in U.S. Patent Applications Serial Numbers 254,288 and 114,930 or larger.

The choice of the amine-reactive modification reagent, thiol introducing agent or other activating agent is not critical, but one skilled in the art will know of suitable or preferred agents for use with the particular polymeric anionic molecule and specific 1 5 binding member to be used in the diagnostic assay. Therefore, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the coupling agent or activating agent used in a given assay will generally be determined empirically.

Suitable thiol-reactive moieties of the heterobifunctional reagents include, but are not limited to, those represented by the following formulas: 0. S 1 -S-S -S-S 0 II o -C-CH 2 -1

-S-S

Sand

COOH

r. Suitable thiol precursor moieties include, but are not limited to, those represented by the following formulas: 0, o 0l a 0 -SC-C -S-S -S-S

-S,.C-CH

3 -S NO -S-S Q~

N

N- ar d

COOH

Suitable amine-reactive moieties include, but are not limited to, those represented by the following formulas: o 0 -C-O-N (CH 2 )m a N=C=S r I I NH O O NH II II II II O-C-CI -CH and the addition salts of -C-O-R" wherein m is 2 or 3, R' is a sulfur stabilizer, as described above, and R" is an aliphatic or aryl group.

S 1 0 In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a specific binding member S"'S having an amine-reactive group an activated specific binding member) can be conjugated to a terminal amino group of the polymeric anionic molecule. Briefly, an example of a conjugation procedure involves: 1) dissolving PGA in a solvent a water fa o. miscible aprotic solvent such as dioxane, dimethylformamide, 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone and dimethyl sulfoxide); 2) adding a proton absorbing reagent an alkali metal hydroxide such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or lithium hydroxide, or a tertiary amine such as 4-methyl morpholine or triethylamine).in the amount of about one q equivalent per titratable carboxylic acid; 3) adding about a 2 to about a 100 molar excess of S amine-reactive specific binding member phosgen-activated phenylcyclidine or S" 20 phenylcyclidine-4-chloroformate); 4) reacting the mixture and 5) removing the unreacted amine-reactive specific binding member. Suitable examples of amine-reactive groups on specific b..ding members include, but are not limited to, 12 flf 6 -A fN=C=S

O

-A-C-O-N

(CH

2 )m 0 0

II

A-CH

0

II

and the addition salts of

O

A

0 O

NH

II

A-C-O-R"

NH

II

0 1I A-0-C-Cl wherein A is a spacer of about one to about thirty atoms as described above, m is two or three, R' is a sulfur stabilizer and R" is an aliphatic or aryl group.

An example of the preparation of a negatively charged capture reagent involves the reaction of a specific binding member (SBM) having an amino group and an activated PGA having an amine-reactive moiety. The resulting reaction and reaction product can be illustrated as follows:

SBM-NH

2 S 0 S=C=N NH (NH-CH-C)n-NH-CH-COO' (CH,)z (CH, 2 I I CO0- COO- 00 6a 0u 0 0 '3 00 I qd d 09 a* S S 0 SBM NH- C NH- NH- -(NH-CH-C)n-NH-CH-COO' I I (CHO) (CH02 COO- CO0" a- 2 4* <A' An "ancillary specific binding member", as used herein, refers to any member of a specific binding pair which is used in the assay in addition to the specific binding members of the capture reagent and the indicator reagent. For example, in an indirect assay an 1 5 ancillary specific binding member may bind the analyte as well as a second specific binding member to which the analyte itself could not attach, or as in an inhibition assay the a a 0.

0 ancillary specific binding member may be a reference binding member as described below.

One or more ancill'ary specific binding members can be used in an assay.

A "solid phase", as used herein, refers to any material which is insoluble, or can be made insoluble by a subsequent reaction. The solid phase can be chosen for its intrinsic charge and ability to attract the capture reagent, methylated wool, nylons, and special glasses having a positive charge. Alternatively, the solid phase can retain an additional charged substance that is oppositely charged with respect to the charged substance of the capture reagent. For example, an anionic substance can be bound to the capture reagent, and a cationic substance can be retained on the solid phase, or vice versa. Natural, synthetic, or 1 0 naturally occurring materials that are synthetically modified, can be used as the cationic substance. A wide variety of proprietary polycations are available including hexadimethrine bromide (Polybrene®; Sigma Chemical Company, St. Louis, Mo), the GAFQuats GafQuat; GAF Corporation, Wayne, NJ, 07470), diethylaminoethyldextran (Sigma), and water soluble cellulose derivatives such as diallyldimethylammonium i 5 chloride-hydroxyethyl cellulose polymer (Celquat T M L-200 and Celquat T M H-100, National Starch Chemical Corporation, Bridgewater, NJ, 08807).

An assay device for the present invention can have many configurations, several of which are dependent upon the material chosen as the solid phase. For example, the solid phase can include any suitable porous material. By "porous" is meant that the material is one through which liquids can flow and can easily pass. In the present invention, the solid phase can include a fiberglass, cellulose, or nylon pad for use in a pour and flow-through assay device having one or more layers containing one or more of the assay reagents; a dipstick for a dip and read assay; a test strip for wicking paper) or thin layer chromatographic nitrocellulose) techniques; or other porous material well known to those skilled in the art. The solid phase, however, is not limited to porous materials. The Ssolid phase can also comprise polymeric or glass beads, microparticles, tubes, sheets, plates, slides, wells, tapes, test tubes, or the like, or any other material which has an intrinsic charge or which can retain a charged substance.

Natural, synthetic, or naturally occurring materials that are synthetically modified, 3 0 can be used as a solid phase including polysacchaides, cellulose materials such as S o' paper and cellulose derivatives such as cellulose acetate and nitrocellulose; silica; inorganic S materials such as deactivated alumina, diatomaceous earth, MgSO4, or other inorganic finely divided material uniformly dispersed in a porous polymer matrix, with polymers such as vinyl chloride, vinyl chloride-propylene copolymer, and vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer; cloth, both naturally occurring cotton) and synthetic nylon); porous gels such as silica gel, agarose, dextran, and gelatin; polymeric films such as 0 A polyacrilamide; and the like. The solid phase should have reasonable strength or strength can be provided by means of a support, and it should not interfere with the production of a detectable signal.

Preferred solid phase materials include a porous fiberglass material, such as a "Whatmian 934-AH" filter paper, which has a nominal thickness of 0.33 mm, or the disposable IMx m wedge and TestPack- (fiber matrix) devices of Abbott Laboratories (Abbott Park, IL, 60004). The thickness of such material is not critical, and will be a matter of choice, largely based upon the properties of the sample or analyte being assayed, such as the fluidity of the test sample.

1 0 To change or enhance the intrinsic charge of the solid phase, a charged substance can be coated directly to the material or onto microparticles which are then retained by a solid phase support material. Alternatively, microparticles alone can be used as the charged solid phase. Particles can serve as the solid phase, by being retained in a column or being suspended in the mixture of soluble reagents and test sample, or the particles themselves 1 5 can be retained and immobilized by a solid phase support material. By "retained and immobilized" is meant that the particles on or in the support material are not capable of substantial movement to positions elsewhere within the support material. The particles can be selected by one skilled in the art from any suitable type of particulate material composed of polystyrene, polymethylacrylate, polypropylene, latex, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyacrylonitrile, polycarbonate, or similar materials. The size of the particles is not critical, although it is preferred that the average diameter of the particles be smaller than the average pore size of the support material being used.

6 o Uses for Ion-Capture Reagents °25 In accordance with the method of the present invention, a sandwich assay can be 0 a performed wherein a soluble capture reagent can include an analyte-specific binding S, member which has been bound to a charged substance such as an anionic substance. The ionic species can be a monomer or a polymer. The capture reagent is contacted with a test sample, suspected of containing the analyte, and an indicator reagent comprising a labeled analyte- 3 0 specific binding member. The reagents can be mixed simultaneously or added sequentially, .I either singly or in combination. A binding reaction results in the formation of a capture o o" reagent/analyte/indicator reagent complex. The assay also comprises the step of separating the resultant homogeneous complex from the excess reagents and test sample by using a solid phase that is either oppositely charged with respect to the capture reagent or that retains an oppositely charged substance, for example a cationic substance. In this example, the oppositely charged solid phase attracts and attaches to the capture reagent/analyte/indicator a ol S i reagent complex through the interaction of the anionic and cationic substances. The complex retained on the solid phase is then detected by examining the solid phase for the indicator reagent. If analyte is present in the sample, then label will be present on the solid phase material. The amount of label on the solid phase is proportional to the amount of analyte in the sample. T h only major limitation inherent in the sandwich assay is the requirement for the analyte to have a sufficient size and appropriately orientated epitopes to permit binding of at least two specific binding members.

The present invention also can be used to conduct a competitive assay. In a competitive configuration, the soluble capture reagent again includes a specific binding 1 0 member which has been attached to a charged substance, such as an anionic polymer. The capture reagent is contacted with both test sample and an indicator reagent that includes a second binding member which has been labeled with a signal generating compound. Either the capture reagent and analyte can compete in binding to the indicator reagent the capture reagent and analyte are antigens competing for a labeled antibody), or the indicator reagent and analyte can compete in binding to the capture reagent the indicator reagent is a labeled antigen which competes with the antigen analyte for binding to the antibody capture reagent). A competitive binding reaction occurs resulting in the formation of soluble complexes of capture reagent/analyte or indicator reagent/analyte and (2) capture reagent/indicator reagent. The soluble complexes are removed from the excess reagents and test sample by contacting the reaction mixture with the oppositely charged solid phase, for example a cationic substance on a solid phase. The capture reagent complexes are retained on the solid phase through the interaction of the opposite charges.

0 0 S The complexes retained on the solid phase can be detected via the label of the indicator reagent. In the competitive assay, the amount of label that becomes associated with the solid 0 25 phase is inversely proportional to the amount of analyte in the sample. Thus, a positive test S sample will generate a negative signal. The competitive assay is advantageously used to determine the presence of small molecule analytes, such as small peptides or haptens, which have a single epitope with which to bind a specific binding partner.

For example, in an assay for theophylline, an anti-theophylline antibody (either nonoclonal or polyclonal) can be coniugated with an anionic substance to form a soluble capture reagent, and a competition for binding to that antibody can be established between the soluble labeled theophylline indicator reagent) and the unlabeled theophylline of the test sample. After incubation, the homogeneous mixture can be contacted to a cationcoated solid phase. The attraction between the oppositely charged ionic species of the capture reagent and the solid phase separates the immunocomplex from the reaction mixture. The signal from the indicator reagent can then be detected. In this example, increased o 01 16

*I

1: I_ T-I1-i- I~ theophylline levels in the test sample will result in decreased signal generation associated with the solid phas'e.

The present invention can also be used in indirect immunoassays using one or more ancillary specific binding members. For example, an indirect sandwich immunoassay with the formation of a capture reagent/analyte/anti-analyte antibody/indicator reagent complex can be performed, wherein the indicator reagent is a specific binding partner for the ancillary specific binding member which is specific for the analyte. In a further example, the capture reagent may include a specific binding partner for the ancillary specific binding member which is specific for the analyte.

In addition, the present invention can be used in an inhibition assay, such as the measurement of an antibody by inhibiting the detection of 'ference antigen. For example, the ,apture reagent can include an antibody/anion conjugate and the indicator reagent can be a labeled-antibody. The test sample, suspected of containing an antibody analyte, is mixed with a reference antigen with which the capture reagent and indicator reagent can form a detectable sandwich complex that can be immobilized upon a solid phase. The degree of inhibition of antigen uptake by the capture reagent is proportional to the amount of antibody analyte in the test sample, thus, as the concentration of the antibody analyte increases, the less reference antigen is available to complete the immobilized sandwich complex.

In general, once complex formation occurs between the analyte and assay reagents, the solid phase is used as a separation mecianism: the homogeneous reaction mixture is contacted with the solid phase, and the newly formed binding complexes are retained on the aoo, solid phase through the interaction of the opposite charges of the solid phase and the capture o reagent. If the user is not concerned with liquid phase kinetics, the capture reagent can be o,,ao.

*o 2 pre-immobilized on the solid phase to form a "capture situs", that region of the solid o 25 phase having one or more capture reagents non-diffusively attached thereto.

The present invention can also be used for separating a substance from a liquid sample. For example, the capture reagent and solid phase can be used without an indicator reagent for the sole purpose of separating an analyte from a test sample. Furthermore, the capture reagent can be contacted with a soluble second charged substance which is oppositely 3 0 charged with respect to the capture reagent. The second charged substance is not retained on the solid phase prior to contacting the sample to the solid phase material, but it attracts and o"o o attaches to the capture reagent such that the resultant assay complexes are retained on the solid phase.

o, When the complex of ch jed capture reagent and analyte (and/or indicator reagent) is contacted to the oppositely charged solid phase, the ionic attraction of the oppositely charged species governs the efficiency of the separation of the complex from the reaction 17 u, i

T-~

V

mixture. The ionic atraction can be selected to provide a greater attraction than the immunological attraction of antibody for antigen, particularly when multiple polycationic and polyanionic species are included in the capture reagent and solid phase. A further advantage is that the "ion-capture" technique minimizes the nonspecific adsorption of interfering substances onto the solid phase, thereby offering improved accuracy of analysis.

The ion-capture technique thereby enables the performance of an assay having a highly specific separation method, minimal nonspecific binding, and high sensitivity.

EXAMPLES

The following Examples illustrate preferred ways of making the novel materials of the present invention and performing assay procedures using those materials. The Examples, however, are intended only to be illustrative, and are not to be construed as 1 5 placing limitations upon the scope of the invention, which scope is defined solely by the appended claims.

Example 1 Sandwich Assay for Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) a. Preparation of an anti-CEA antibody-PGA capture reagent SO The following sequence of steps describes the chemistry employed for the preparation of an antibody/poiyglutamic acid (PGA) conjugate, an antibody/anionic polymer capture reagent.

'o 2 5 Preparation of a traceable anionic polymer: The sodium salt of PGA (one gram; 7.14 x 10 5 mole; average molecular weinht [MW] 14,000; Sigma Chemical Company, St. Louis, Mo.) was converted to 3-(2-pyridy-dithio) propionyl-PGA (PDP-PGA) by the method of Tsukada, et al. (JNCI; 73; 721-729, 1984) with the following procedural modifications.

The PDP-PGA was not reduced to the k'ee sulfhydryl prior to the thiopropyl sepharose 6B 3 0 isolation. Instead, the PDP-PGA was dissolved in 0.1 M Na phosphate and 1 mM EDTA (pH S o 6.5) and stirred with thiopropyl sepharose 6B (C0 30 grams; Pharmacia Chemicals, 0Uppsala, Sweden). After dialysis and lyophilization, a 24% yield of the PDP-PGA conjugate was obtained (0.244 grams; 1.72 x 10-5 mole).

To ensure that the disulfide was maintained during the ensuing chemistries, the thiopyridyl group was exchanged for a 5-thio-2-nitrobenzoate (TNB) protecting group. A 100 mole excess of 1,4-dithiothreitol (MW 154.2) was added to a solution of the PDP-PGA 0 18 o 18 3 er rru~mg; 1.42 x 10-6 mole) dissolved in 0.1 M sodium phosphate (4.0 ml; pH and the reaction was run for one hour at 400C. The mixture was diluted to ten milliliters with mM sodium acetate, 0.14 M NaCI, and 1.0 mM EDTA (pH 5.5) and dialyzed in 2000 molecular weight cut off (MWCO) tubing against the dilution buffer. Dialysis was continued against distilled water, followed by lyophilization. The yield of thiopropyl-PGA (HS-PGA) was 13.5 mg. The HS-PGA (13.5 mg) was dissolved in 0.1 M sodium phosphate (pH 9.6 x 10-7 mole) and reacted with a 10 mole excess of 5,5' dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) for one hour at room temperature. This mixture was diluted to ten milliliters with 0.1 M sodium phosphate (pH 7) and dialyzed in 2000 MWCO tubing against the dilution 1 0 buffer. Dialysis was continued against distilled water and was followed by lyophilization to produce 5-(2-nitrobenzoic dithio) propionyl-PGA (TNB-PGA; 8.5 mg; 6.07 x 10' 7 mole).

To trace the number of anionic polymer molecules attached to each capture reagent antibody, the TNB-protected PGA was then labeled with an ethylenediamine derivative of fluorescein. The TNB-PGA was loaded with an ethylenediamine derivatized fluorescein 1 5 (EDA-FI; MW 532) by dissolving TNB-PGA (8.5 mg) in dry N-N dimethyl-formamide ml), treating with a 90 mole excess of N-methylmorpholine (MW 101.15), lowering the temperature to 000, and adding a 90 mole excess of isobutylchloroformate (MW 136.58). This reaction was run at 0°C for one hour. The mixture was warmed to room temperature, a 30 mole excess of EDA-FI was added, and the reaction was run at room temperature with stirring overnight. The mixture was diluted to ten milliliters with 0.1 M sodium phosphate (pH 7.0) and dialyzed in 2000 MWCO tubing against the dilution buffer.

O Dialysis was continued against distilled water and was followed by lyophilization to yield TNB-PGA/EDA-FI conjugate (7.8 mg; 5.6 x 10- 7 mole).

The TNB group was removed by dissolving the TNB-PGA/EDA-FI (7.8 mg) in 0.1 M :25 sodium phosphate (3.0 ml; pH 7.0) and treating with a 100 mole excess of 1,4dithiothreitol for one hour at 4000. The reaction was monitored for a shift of a 334 nm to a 412 nm peak on a UV/VIS spectrophotometer. The material was diluted to ten milliliters with distilled water and dialyzed in 2000 MWCO tubing against distilled water. Upon lyophilization, thiopropyl-PGA/EDA-FI (HS-PGA/EDA-FI; 8.4 mg) was obtained. At this 3 0 point, a UV/VIS scan was taken to determine the number of fluoresceins per PGA molecule o loading). A value of 0.81 fluoresceins per PGA was calculated for this preparation.

fo Antibody activation: The monoclonal antibody, an anti-CEA antibody was maleimide activated per the method of Tuskada, et al. (JNCI: 73; 721-729, 1984) with the following exceptions. The antibody concentration was one mg/ml, and a 150 mole excess of Nsuccinimidyl m-(N-maleimido) benzoate (SMBE, MW 314.3; Sigma) was used. It was determined experimentally that a 150 mole excess was necessary to introduce between three 19 and five maleimide groups to the anti-CEA antibody. Clean-up was performed using the Meares, et al. centrifuge method (Analytical Biochemistry: 1142; 68-78, 1984) with Sephadex G-50/80 (Sigma) in three milliliter syringe columns. The number of maleimides per antibody was determined using the titration method of Liu, et al., (Biochemistry: 18; 690-696, 1979). It was found that 4.6 maleimides were introduced per antibody during this antibody activation.

The thiopropyl-fluorescein-labeled PGA was then reacted with the maleimide derived antibody to yield the antibody/PGA conjugate appropriate for e. carcinoembryonic antigen ion-capture immunoassay. The maleimide-activated antibody (1.0 mg; 6.25 x 1 0 9 mole) in 0.1 M sodium phosphate (1.0 to 2.0 ml; pH 7.0) was pH adjusted to 6.5 with N HCI. Then, a 10 mole excess of HS-PGA/EDA-FI (approximately 1.0 mg) in 0.1 M sodium phosphate (100 Itl) was added to the activated antibody preparation. The conjugation was run overnight with gentle stirring at room temperature. The mixture was diluted to ten milliliters in 0.1 M sodium phosphate (pH 7.0) and dialyzed in 50,000 MWCO tubing 1 5 against 0.001 M Na phosphate (pH 7.0) followed by lyophilization. The dry material was redissolved in distilled water (0.25 ml) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fractionated for the largest peak at A280. The chromatography was performed using a Bio-Sil TSK250 (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Richmond, California) 300 mm x 7.5 mm column, eluted at one milliliter/minute with 50 mM sodium sulfate, 20 mM sodium phosphate, and 0.3 M NaCI (pH 6.8).

The largest peak was assayed for protein content using Bio-Rad's Bradford assay with a a bovine IgG standard. The peak contained 95.5 gg/ml protein equating to 5.97 x 10-7 molar protein (IgG MW 160,000). By scanning the UV/VIS and taking the absorbance at S494 nm, it was determined that this fraction also contained 2.12 x 10- 6 molar fluorescein.

2 5 The equation of the molar fluorescein gave 3.6 fluoresceins per antibody molecule. Knowing that there were 0.81 fluoresceins per PGA molecule, this equated to 4.4 PGA molecules O conjugated to each antibody. The peak fraction was frozen and subsequently used in the assay.

An important aspect of the above described chemistries is that there exists but a 3 0 single site of attachment between each polymeric anion and the antibody. The solitary o .0 a covalent link between the two circumvents the potential intermolecular and intramolecular crosslinking that could occur if a polymeric anion having multiple activated groups were employed.

6 ,6 As an alternative to the above capture reagent example, a cationic derived antibody 3 5 could also be formed for use in conjunction with an anionic solid phase material.

4: i_ b. Preparation of the solid phase The solid phase fibrous matrix of a disposable IMx" T wedge was coated with a polymeric quaternary compound to give the solid phase a positive charge. Celquat" L-200, a water soluble cellulose derivative, was used. A 1% aqueous solution of Celquat M L-200 (50 was applied to the solid phase mateial, followed by a wash of diluent containing 300 mM NaCI, 50 mM Tris and 0.1% NaN 3 (75 1l; pH c. Preparation of the indicator reagent The indicator reagent consisted of a conjugate of alkaline phosphatase and anti-CEA 1 0 antibody fragment, which binds to a different epitope than the antibody specified in the capture reagent. The alkaline phosphatase-labeled anti-CEA antibody fragment was in a buffer containing: 50 mM Tris, 50 mM NaCI, 1.0 mM MgCl 2 0.1 mM ZnCI 2 5.0 mM sodium tartrate, 0.5% calf skin gelatin, and 3% mouse serum.

1 5 d. Immunoassay protocol determination of CEA The indicator reagent (70 l) was placed into a reaction well. Then, buffered capture reagent (20 p.l of anti-CEA/PGA conjugate in a buffer of 50 mM Na 2

SO

4 20 mM sodium phosphate, and 300 mM NaCI at pH 6.8) was added to the well. A 35 .Il specimen containing CEA was added to the well, and the homogeneous immunoreactiorl mixture was 2 0 incubated for 20 minutes at 34.50C. Four different specimens were run in the assay, each of which was a CEA calibrator from the Abbott Laboratories CEA enzyme immunoassay kit.

An aliquot of each reaction mn.ture (100 pl) was then applied to the quat-treated solid phase material, followed by three 75 pl washes of diluent. Finally, an enzyme substrate p.t; 1.2 mM 4-methylumbelliferyl-phosphate in a solution of 100 mM AMP, 1.0 mM 25 MgCI 2 0.1% NaN 3 and 4.0 mM tetramisole at pH 10.3) was added at 34.50C for reaction with the indicator reagent, and the resulting rate of fluorescence was measured. The doseresponse results of the assay are shown in Table 1. The results demonstrate that as the CEA test sample concentration increased there was a corresponding increase in the formation of capture agent/analyte/indicator reagent complex, and therefore, the amount of detectable 3 0 label associated with the solid phase increased.

0 04 4 44 0 o 00 \21

I

TABLE 1 CEA Ion-capture Sandwich Assay Capture reagent: anti-CEA antibody-PGA conjugate Indicator reagent: alkaline phosphatase-labeled anti-CEA antibody fragment CEA na/mlJ Rate (counts/sec/ser 0 37 4 170 931 2398 Example 2 Competitive Inhibition Assay of Mouse Immunoglobulin a. reparation of an IQG-PGA capture reagent A protein-A affinity purified mouse monoclonal immunoglobulin G was coupled to negatively charged PGA using a water-soluble carbodiimide reagent (1-ethyl-3-(3dimethylamino-propyl) carbodiimnide; EDCI) according to the following procedures.

a. Fluorescein-labeled PGA (10 mg; FI-PGA) was added to an ice-cold solution of the :25 antibody (4.8 mg/ml) in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS; 75 mM KH 2

PO

4 and 300 mM 1,1 NaCI at pH To that solution was added a freshly prepared ice-cold solution of EDCI (100 gl; 10 mg/ml), and the resultant reaction mixture was allowed to warm to room temperature with continuous stirring for 2.5 hours. An additional freshly prepared ice- S cold solution of EDCI (50 100 mg/ml) was then added to the reaction mixture with rapid stirring. The reaction mixture was stirred for another 1.5 hours. The mixture was then fractionated by gel filtration chromatography using a Spherogel TSK-3000SWG column (2.15 cm x 30 cm) fitted with a Spherogel TSK-G guard column (2.15 cm x 7.5 cm; 4 Beckman Instruments, Inc., Fullerton, CA, 92634). The column was eluted with PBS at a flow rate of five milliliters/minute. The PGA/antibody ratio of these pools was determined by quantitating the fluorescence in the FI-PGA conjugates of the antibody. The results are shown in Table 2.

22 i Mouse IgG-PGA conjugates prepared using EDCI O i 0 it 40 q oo io it -a S 0 r* 04 a Sr EQPl Peak Molecular Weight PGA/antibodv I 420,000 3.8 II 280,000 4.1 III 220,000 b. Preparation of the solid phase A porous fibrous matrix material was coated with a polymeric quaternary ammonium compound (Gafquat T 755N, GAF Corporation) to form the solid phase. An 1 5 aqueous solution of 0.5% Gafquat T (50 pl) was applied to the surface of the material, followed by a water wash (75 pl).

c. Binding of the indicator reagent to the capture reagent The indicator reagent, an alkaline phosphatase conjugate of sheep anti-mouse immunoglobulin (Jackson ImmunoResearch Laboratories, Inc.; West Grove, PA, 19390), was diluted in Tris-buffered saline containing 1% fish gelatin [25 mM Tris ydroxymethyl) aminomethane and 100 mM NaCI, pH The capture reagent of PGA/mouse monoclonal antibody conjugate (Pool I of Table 2) was similarly treated. Two hundred microliters of each reagent was added to a series of test tubes which were then incubated at 370C for 30 minutes. An aliquot of the reaction mixture (75 was applied to the quat-treated solid phase material, immediately followed by three 150 l1 washes of Tris-buffered saline. Finally, an enzyme substrate (70 pl of 1.2 mM 4methylumbelliferylphosphate in a solution of 100 mM AMP, 1 mM MgCI 2 0.1% NaN 3 and 4 mM tetramisole; pH 10.3) was added to the materials at 32.70C, and the resulting rate of fluorescence was measured. The results of the experiment are summarized in Tab!es 3 and 4.

23 1 u

I

1 TABLE 3 Dose response of capture reagent/indicator reagent binding PGA/antibodv* (ga/ml Rate of fluorescence (counts/sec/sec) 1559 1 816 0.1 179 0.01 0 36 SThe initial concentrations of PGA-coupled-antibody before mixing with a 1000-fold 1 5 diluted alkaline phosphatase-labeled sheep anti-mouse immunoglobulin.

o~ o b a a 0 V sa CO 0 TABLE 4 Dose response of indicator reagent/capture reagent* binding Indicatjr reaaent titer* Rate of fluorescence (counts/sec/sec) 102 5062 3 796 10 4 93 105 106 The initial concentration of PGA-coupled-antibody before mixing with alkaline phosphatase-labeled sheep anti-mouse immunoglobulin was five g/ml.

The indicator reagent titer is the reciprocal of the dilution of the reagent stock.

Competitive inhibition assay for mouse lgG 0000 aP 0r 0 0* a a~ a a 0 0 The capture reagent and indicator reagent were prepared as described above. All of the reagents were diluted in Tris-buffered saline containing 1% fish gelatin. The indicator reagent was diluted 1000-fold from the stock solution, and the capture reagent was diluted to ten g/ml. In a series of test tubes, 150 i.1 each of appropriately diluted indicator reagent, capture reagent, and mouse monoclonal antibody were mixed. The mixtures were incubated at 370C for 30 minutes. Aliquots of the mixtures (75 p.1) were applied to the quat-treated solid phase materials, immediately followed by three 150 p.1 washes of Trisbuffered saline. An enzyme substrate (70 I.l of 1.2 mM 4-methylumbelliferylphosphate in 24

U

a solution of 100 mM AMP, 1 mM MgCI 2 0.1% NaN 3 and 4.0 mM tetramisole; pH 10.3) was then added to the solid phase at 32.70C, and the resulting rate of fluorescence was measured. The results of this example illustrating a competitive inhibition assay for mouse IgG are jhown in Table 5. The results demonstrate that as the mouse monoclonal antibody concentration increased there was a corresponding decrease in the formation of capture reagent/indicator reagent complex, and therefore, the amount of detectable label associated with the solid phase decreased.

TABLE 1 0 Inhibition of indicator reagent binding due to mouse monoclonal antibody Capture reagent: PGA/mouse monoclonal IgG conjugate Indicator reagent: alkaline phosphatase-sheep anti-mouse immunoglobulin conjugate Mouse IgG (ga/ml) Rate of fluorescence (counts/sec/sec) 0 110 3.3 x 10- 3 106 3.3 x 10- 2 98 3.3 x 10- 1 67 3.3 36 33 o a "0""0425 Example 3 Sandwich Assay for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) a Preparation of the capture reagent A highly negatively charged albumin derivative was prepared and coupled to anti-hCG antibodies to form the capture reagent according to the following procedures.

Modification of rabbit serum albumin to form a negatively charged protein derivative: Rabbit serum albumin (RSA) was extensively succinylated and coupled with para-azobenzenesulfonate by the procedure of Jou, et al., (Methods in Enzymology: Vol. 92, Part E; 257-276, Academic Press, 1983). Two per cent RSA in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, 14 ml, pH 8.0) was mixed with 5% succinic annhydride in para-dioxane (2.28 ml).

The pH was maintained at 8 by the addition of 1.0 N NaOH. The reaction mixture was stirred 0 0 S _I1I1_ i I_ 4 i at room temperature for 30 minuies. Hydroxylamine hydrochloride was added (0.6 g) and the pH of the solution was adjusted to 9.5 by adding an appropriate amount of 5 N NaOH. The mixture was then dialyzed against water. The resultant SUC 6 5 -RSA was coupled to para- Sazobenzenesulfonate according to the following reactions.

A suspension of para-azobenzenesulfonic acid (0.15 mmole, 26 mg) in 1 N HCI (0.8 ml) was cooled in an ice bath and treated with 1 N NaNO 2 (0.2 ml) for 30 minutes with rapid stirring. The resultant diazonium salt solution was added by drops to the ice cooled

SUC

6 5 -RSA solution with rapid stirring. The pH of the reaction mixture was maintained at 11 by the addition of 1.0 N NaOH. The dark red reaction mixture was stirred and allowed to 1 0 warm to room temperature for one hour before it was extensively dialyzed against water.

The resultant Sp-SUC 6 5 -RSA anionic derivatized protein was kept refrigerated until used.

Preparation of anti-hCG F(ab') 2 fragments: Anti-hCG F(ab') 2 fragments were prepared according to the method of Nisonoff, et al., (Arch. Biochem. Biophy.: 89; 230- 244, 1960) from affinity purified goat anti-hCG antibodies. A portion of affinity purified antibody solution in phosphate buffered saline (pH 7.2) was acidified to pH 4 by adding acetic acid. The preferred concentration of antibodies at this point was one mg/ml. Pepsin was added to reach a final concentration of 20 p.g/ml. The mixture was incubated at 37°C overnight. The reaction was stopped by adding 6.0 N NaOH to bring the reaction mixture to a pH of 7.5. The digested antibody fragments solution was concentrated to 20 mg/ml. The F(ab') 2 fragments were purified by gel-filtration high performance liquid chromatography using a Spherogel TSK-3000SWG column (2.15 cm x 30 cm) fitted with a Spherogel TSK-G S guard column (2.15 cm x 7.5 cm).

Preparation of anti-hCG TNB-Fab' fragments: Anti-hCG Fab' fragments were Sprepared and derivatized into a thiol-reactive form according to a modification of the methods of Parham, et al., Immunol. Method.: 53: 133-173, 1982) and Brennan, et al., S C (Science: 229: 81-83, 1985). With stirring, a solution (158 Rl1) of 0.1 M NaAsO 2 containing 20 mM EDTA was added to 1.28 ml of goat F(ab') 2 (goat anti-human chorionic gonadotropin antibody fragment, 16 mg/ml) containing trace 12 5 1-F(ab') 2 in PBS. The reductive cleavage reaction was started by adding 0.1 M cysteine-HCI (158 The reaction mixture was overlayed with nitrogen and incubated with stirring at 370C for one a hour. The reaction was then quenched by adding 19 mg of 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic I acid). After stirring overnight at room temperature, the mixture was chromatographed on a PD-10 column (Pharmacia Inc., Piscataway, NJ) preequilibrated with PBS, and then chromatographed on a size exclusion high performance liquid chromatography column [Spherogel TSK-2000SWG column (2.15 cm x 30 cm) fitted with a Spherogel TSK-G guard column (2.15 cm x 7.5 The purified thionitrobenzoate derivative of Fab' (TNB-Fab') 26 1 1 was concentrated to 7.9 mg/ml using a CX-10 ultrafiltration unit (Millipore Corp., Bedford, MA).

Coupling of anti-hCG TNB-Fab' fragments to Sp-SUC 65 -RSA: A solution of 1 M dithiothreitol (DTT; 86 gl) was added to a solution (4.2 ml) containing Sp-SUC 65

-RSA

(2.2 mg/ml) in 37.5 mM sodium phosphate, 150 mM NaCI, and 2.0 mM EDTA (pH 6.8).

The mixture was incubated at 37°C for three hours and then at room temperature overnight.

The resulting reaction mixture was chromatographed on a 2.5 cm x 20 cm column packed with Sephadex m G-25 (Pharmacia Inc.) and preequilibrated with 75 mM sodium phosphate, 300 mM NaCI, and 2.0 mM EDTA (pH A two milliliter portion of the pooled fractions 1 0 of reduced Sp-SUC 6 s-RSA (0.48 mg/ml) was mixed with anti-hCG TNB-Fab' (0.15 ml; 7.9 mg/ml). The mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight. The reaction mixture was then treated with 100 mM iodoacetic acid (107 gl) and stirred for one hour at room temperature. The Fab'-Sp-SUC 65 -RSA conjugate was purified by size exclusion high performance liquid chromatography using a Spherogel TSK-3000SWG column (2.15 cm x 1 5 30 cm) fitted with a Spherogel TSK-G guard column (2.15 cm x 7.5 cm).

Coupling of anti-hCG antibodies to Sp-SUC 65 -RSA: A solution (27 of 30 mM succinimidyl 4-(N-maleimido-methyl)-cyclohexane-1-carboxylate in N,Ndimethylformamide was added to 2.25 ml of affinity purified goat anti-hCG antibody (3 mg/ml) in PBS. The resulting reaction mixture was stirred for one hour at room temperature and then chromatographed on a PD-10 column preequilibrated with 75 mM sodium phosphate, 300 mM NaCI, and 2.0 mM EDTA (pH A 1.8 ml portion of the pooled fractions of modified antibodies (1.6 mg/ml) was mixed with three milliliters of the DTT-reduced Sp-SUC 65 -RSA (0.48 mg/ml). After stirring at room temperature overnight, the reaction was quenched by adding 100 mM iodoacetic acid (0.25 ml) and 5 stirring at room temperature for one hour. The antibody-Sp-SUC 6 5 -RSA conjugate was purified by size exclusion high performance liquid chromatography in the manner described above.

b. Preparation of the indicator reagent S:3 0 The indicator reagent consisted of an alkaline phosphatase-goat anti-hCG antibody 44 conjugate (prepared by coupling anti-hCG antibody to periodate activated !akaline v phosphatase) in an assay buffer containing 25 mM Tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane, 100 mM NaCI, 1 mM MgCI 2 0.1 mM ZnCI 2 0.07% NaN 3 and 1% fish gelatin at pH 2 *4 27 c. Sandwich immunoassav protocol for hCG The ion-capture immunoassay protocol included the use of a solid phase prepared substantially in accordance with the method described in Example 2, the indicator reagent (alkaline phosphatase-goat anti-hCG antibody conjugate), one of two different capture reagents (goat anti-hCG Fab'-Sp-SUCs 6 -RSA and goat anti-hCG IgG-Sp-SUC 65 -RSA) as prepared in Example 3.a. above, and a purified hCG standard solution. All reagents were appropriately diluted (as determined by a titer curve) in the assay buffer. Equal volumes (750 gl) of the indicator reagent and hCG sample solution were placed in a series of test tubes. After incubation at 370C for 30 minutes, a 125 gl aliquot of each incubated mixture 1 0 was mixed in a separate tube with an equal volume of a capture reagent. The resulting mixtures were incubated for 30 minutes. The assay mixture (75 gl) was then added to each solid phase material. The solid phase materials were then washed three times with 150 pl amounts of washing buffer [25 mM Tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane, 100 mM NaCI, mM MgCl 2 0.1 mM ZnCI 2 and 0.07% NaN 3 at pH An enzyme substrate (70 pg of 1.2 mM 4-methylumbelliferylphosphate in a solution of 100 mM AMP, 1.0 mM MgCl 2 0.1% NaN 3 and 4.0 mM tetramisole at pH 10.3) was then added to the solid phase materials. The resulting rate of fluorescence was measured at 32.70C. The results of the experiment are summarized in Table 6. The results demonstrate that as the hCG test sample concentration increased there was a corresponding increase in the formation of capture 2 0 reagent/analyte/indicator reagent complex, and therefore, the amount of detectable label o associated with the solid phase increased.

o o 0 .1 0.

02 0 s 0 28

V

TABLE 6 hCG lon:capture Sandwich Assay Comparing Different Capture Reagents Indicator reagent: hCG-specific goat IgG-alkaline phosphatase Rate of fluorescence (counts/sec/sec) hCG-specific capture reagents hCG (mlU/ml Goat IgG-S-SUC E -RA Goat Fab'-Sp-SUCM SA 0 63 64 12.5 96 110 121 134 146 166 100 182 212 Example 4 Indirect Sandwich Ion-capture Immunoassay for hCG The indirect ion-capture immunoassay included the use of a solid phase prepared substantially as described in Example 2 above, an indicator reagent of alkaline phosphatase- S sheep anti-mouse IgG conjugate (Jackson ImmunoResearch Laboratories, Inc.), a capture reagent of goat anti-hCG F(ab') 2 -Sp-SUC 6 5 -RSA as prepared in Example 3, an ancillary 0* 6 specific binding member of mouse monoclonal anti-hCG antibodies (ImmunoSearch; Thomas River, NJ, 08753), and a purified hCG standard solution. The ancillary specific binding a-o° member was used to bind with the analyte and the indicator reagent. All reagents were appropriately diluted in the assay buffer. Equal volumes (150 p.l) of the indicator reagent, 3 0 hCG sample solution, and ancillary specific binding member were placed in a series of test tubes. After incubation at 37°C for five minutes, a 150 ul portion of capture reagent was S added to each tube. The resulting mixtures were incubated for five minutes. The assay o mixture (200 pl1) was then added to each prepared solid phase material. The solid phase materials were then washed with washing buffer and treated with an enzyme substrate 5 solution in the same manner as described in Example 3. above. The resulting rate of fluorescence was measured at 32.70C. The results of the assay are summarized in Table 7.

The results demonstrate that as the hCG test sample concentration increased there was a corresponding increase in the formation of capture reagent/analyte/ancillary specific 29 I i binding member/indicator reagent complex, and therefore, the amount of detectable label associated with the solid phase increased.

TABLE 7 Ion-capture Indirect Sandwich Assay for hCG Capture reagent: goat anti-hCG F(ab') 2 -Sp-SUC 6 5

-RSA

Indicator reagent: sheep anti-mouse IgG-alkaline phosphatase Ancillary specific binding member: mouse monoclonal anti-hCG antibody hCG (mlU/ml) 0 3.3 6.3 12.6 25.0 50.0 100.0 200.0 Rate of fluorescence (counts/sec/sec) 13 18 27 112 230 443 732 *4 *1 or I

U

:25 a I 41

COI

Indirect Sandwich Ion-capture Example Inmunoassay for hCG Members Using Two Ancillary Specific Binding A- ,y o 00r 4r 9 *0 a a r 0 U4 The ion-capture immunoassay protocol included the use of a solid phase prepared substantially in accordance with the method described in Example 2, an indicator reagent of alkaline phosphatase-sheep anti-mouse IgG conjugate (Jackson ImmunoResearch Laboratories, Inc.), an ancillary specific binding member of mouse monoclonal anti-hCG antibodies (ImmunoSearch; Thomas River, NJ, 08753), and a purified hCG standard solution. Additionally, the protocol used a second ancillary specific binding member of 35 affinity purified goat anti-hCG antibodies and a capture reagent of rabbit anti-goat IgG-Sp-

SUC

65 -RSA. The capture reagent was prepared by coupling affinity purified rabbit antigoat IgG (Cappel; Cochranville, PA, 19330) to Sp-SUC 65 -RSA according to the procedure described in Example 3 above. All reagents were appropriately diluted in the assay buffer.

Equal volumes (100 gl) of the indicator reagent, hCG sample solution, and first ancillary specific binding member were placed in a series of test tubes. After incubation (37°C for ten minutes) the second ancillary specific binding member (100 was added and the incubation was continued (at 37°C for an additional five minutes). Finally, capture reagent (100 ul) was added to each tube. The resulting mixtures were incubated for five minutes.

The assay mixture (200 pl) was then added io each prepared solid phase material. The solid phase materials were then washed with washing buffer, treated with enzyme substrate solution, and measured for the rate of fluorescence in the same manner as described in 1 0 Example 3, above. The results of the assay are summarized in Table 8. The results demonstrate that as the hCG test sample concentration increased there was a corresponding increase in the formation of capture reagent/ancillary specific binding member/analyte/ancillary specific binding member/indicator reagent complex, and therefore, the amount of detectable label associated with the solid phase increased.

TABLE 8 Ion-capture Indirect Sandwich Assay for hCG Capture reagent: rabbit anti-goat IgG-Sp-SUC 6 5

-RSA

Incicator reagent: sheep anti-mouse IgG-alkaline phosphatase 2 0 Ancillary specific binding member: mouse monoclonal anti-hCG antibody Ancillary specific binding member: goat anti-hCG antibodies Anilr pcfcbidn ebr ot nihGatbde

I

o 0 4-4* *s *0 4 0* *4 *4 *644 0* 0) ooVO P 404

A*

a L Rate of Fluorescence (counts/sec/sec) Goat anti-hCG (ng/ml) hCG (40 mlU/ml) Negative Control(0 mlU/ml) 250 3499 36 150 3708 34 50 3543 33 25 3155 i, 31 311

II

JI

Example 6 Indirect Ion-capture Immunoassay for Anti-progesterone Antibody a. Preparation of PGA-labeled goat anti-mouse capture reagent The following sequence of steps describes the chemistry employed for the preparation of an antibody/polyglutamic acid conjugate.

Conversion of PGA-sodium salt to the free acid form: The sodium salt of PGA (200 mg; 1.47 x 10- 5 mole; average MW 13,600; Sigma Chemical Company, St. Louis, Mo.) was stirred with a cation exchange resin (AG50W-X8; 13 grams; Bio-Rad, Richmond, CA) in 1 0 milliliters of water for three hours. The supernatent was decanted, filtered, and evaporated providing an 80% yield of the free acid form of PGA as a white powder (137 mg; average MW 11,620).

Prepaation of isothiocyanate-PGA (ITC-PGA): To a solution of the free acid form of PGA (65 mg; 5,6 x 10-6 mole) in dimethylformamide (DMF; 2 ml) was added triethylamine (100 pl1; 7.2 x 10-4 mole) and 1,4-phenylenediisothiocyanate (110 mg; 5.7 x 1 0 4 mole; Aldrich Chemical Company, Milwaukee, WI). After stirring overnight at room temperature, acetic acid (100 .l1; 1.7 x 10-3 mole) was added, and the reaction mixture was then evaporated. Methylene chloride (25 ml) was added to the residue, and after stirring for two hours the mixture was filtered to yield the ITC-PGA as a white powder (101 mg).

The ITC-PGA (295 gg; 2.5 x 10- 8 mole; in 40 .1 of 20% DMF/0.1 M sodium phosphate at pH 7.0) was added to a buffered solution of goat anti-mouse IgG (200 gig; 1.25 x 10- 9 mole; Sigma Chemical Company; in 40 p.1 of 0.1 M sodium phosphate at pH 7) to form the PGA-labeled goat anti-mouse capture reagent. After stirring at room temperature for two days, 0.1 M Tris (20 pl; pH 7.4) was added and the resulting mixture was stored at 25 2 to 8 0 C until used.

o 0 b. Indirect immunoassay for anti-progesterone antibody The anti-progesterone antibody ion-capture immunoassay included the use of solid phase materials coated with a polymeric quaternary compound as described in Example 1. A 3 0 60 .I1 sample was added to a reaction well. The samples consisted of a monoclonal antiprogesterone antibody at concentrations of 0, 5, 50, 100, 250, and 500 ng/ml in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS; 50 mM sodium phosphate, 99 mM NaCI, 0.1% NaN 3 at pH Next, 20 .1 of PBS were added to the reaction well, followed by 20 p.I of the buffered indicator reagent, progesterone labeled with alkaline phosphatase (3 p.g/ml in a Tris buffer of 60 mM Tris, pH 7.4, 150 mM NaCI, 1% NaN 3 1 mM MgCl 2 0.1 mM ZnCI 2 and 1% BSA). After incubating the mixture at 34,5o C for ten minutes, the capture reagent was 04 3 32 I r LI- U I.

added (20 p.l; PGA-labeled goat anti-mouse antibody at a 1/100 dilution in PBS of the stock solution described above). The mixture was then incubated an additional ten minutes at 34.50 C. A 100 plI aliquot of the mixture was then applied to the solid phase material, followed by three 75 .l washes of diluent. Lastly, the enzyme substrate solution (70 .1; 1.2 mM 4-methylumbelliferylphosphate in a solution of 100 mM AMP, 1 mM MgCI 2 0.1% NaN 3 and 4.0 mM tetramisole at pH 10.3) was added to the solid phase, and the resulting rate of fluorescence was measured. The results of the assay are shown in Table 9. The results demonstrate that as the anti-progesterone antibody test sample concentration increased there was a corresponding increase in the formation of capture 1 0 reagent/analyte/indicator reagent complex, and therefore, the amount of detectable label associated with the solid phase increased.

TABLE 9 Ion-capture Assay for Mouse Monoclonal Anti-progesterone Antibody Capture reagent: PGA-labeled goat anti-mouse antibody Indicator reagent: alkaline phosphatase-labeled progesterone Anti-progesterone(ng/ml) Rate of fluorescence (counts/sec/sec) 0 9 ro 5 31 o 50 254 100 441 25 250 11°1 500 2721 Example 7 Indirect Competitive Ion-capture Immunoassay for Progesterone The solid phase was prepared substantially in accordance with the method described in Example 1. A 60 pl sample of various concentrations of progesterone in PBS was mixed with 20 pl of progesterone-labeled alkaline phosphatase inrilator reagent (0.4 gg/ml in the Tris buffer of Example 4) and 20 .l of mouse anti-progesterone antibody as an 0, o ancillary specific binding member (0.3 gg/ml in PBS). After incubating the mixture at 33 33 34.5° C for ten minutes, 20 pl of of the PGA-labeled goat anti-mouse antibody capture reagent were added as described in Example 6, above. The resulting mixture was incubated an additional ten minutes at 34.50 C. A 100 .Il aliquot of the mixture was then applied to the solid phase material, followed by three washes of diluent. Lastly, the enzyme substrate solution (70 pl; 1.2 mM 4-methylumbelliferylphosphate in a solution of 100 mM AMP, 1 mM MgCI 2 0.1% NaN 3 and 4.0 mM tetramisole at pH 10.3) was added to the solid phase, and the resulting rate of fluorescence was measured. The results of the assay are shown in Table 10. The results demonstrate that as the progesterone test sample concentration increased there was a corresponding decrease in the formation of capture reagent/ancillary 1 0 specific binding member/indicator reagent complex, and therefore, the amount of detectable label associated with the solid phase decreased.

TABLE 9 Ion-capture Indirect Competitive Assay for Progesterone 1 5 Capture reagent: PGA-labeled goat anti-mouse antibody Indicator reagent: alkaline phosphatase-labeled progesterone Ancillary specific binding member: mouse anti-progesterone antibody Progesterone(ng/m) Rate of fluorescence (counts/sec/sec) 0 1203 1.88 277 3.75 145 25 7.5 .67 o9, 15 30 16 0 t Example 8 o oJ Activation of Poly-L-Glutamic Acid for the Formation of Anionic Capture Reagents o The following sequence of steps describes the chemistry used for the bulk preparation of protein-PGA conjugates for the formation of negatively charged capture reagents.

o34 o* 4 I 34 a Sa Conversion of PGA-sodium salt to the free acid form The sodium sait of PGA (00 mg; 7.35 x 10- 6 mole; average MW 13,600; Sigma) was stirreo overnight with a hydrogen form cation exchange resin equivalents/glutamate residue; AG50W-X8; Bio-Rad). The resin previously had been swelled and washed in distilled water, and finally resuspended in distilled water (20 ml/7 gms dry weight of beads.) The supernatent was removed and lyophilized providing a yield of the free acid form of PGA (PGAFA) as a white powder (80 mg; average MW 11,620). The free acid form was used to obtain solubility in organic solvents b. Preparatio of ITC-PGAFA The PGAFA was dissolved in solvent (DMF at ten milligrams/, ,illiliter.) A proton absorbing reagent (4-methyl morpholine) was added to the solution in the amount of about one equivalent per titratable free carboxylic acid. Next, about a 100 mole excess of an amine-reactive moification reagent (1,4-phenylene diisothiocyanate [DITC] in sufficient 1 5 DMf to dissolve it) was added to the solution. The reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight. The reaction mixture was rotavaporated to near dryness, and methylene chloride (25 ml) was added dropwise to precipitate the ITC-PGAFA. The flocculant precipitate was centrifuged, and the methylene chloride and unreacted DITC were removed. The precipitation/centrifugation process was repeated until substantially no 2 0 detectable DITC remained. The DITC was detected using thin layer chromatography on silica o slides developed in methylene chloride; ITC-PGAFA remains at the origin, DITC moves with g the solvent front. The remaining solid was vacuum dried to yield the ITC-PGAFA as a yellow S powder.

oo2 5 c. Coupling of ITC-PGAFA to protein to make capture reagents S4" The ITC-PGAFA (at about a 1 to about a 20 mole excess to the protein) was dissolved in 0.2 M sodium phosphate buffer at pH 8.5 with the volume held as low as possible. The pH was adjusted to 8.5 as necessary. The desired protein was added to this solution and incubated overnight a 370°C. The preparations were then fractionated using HPLC on either 30 an analytical TSK 400 Bio-Rad column (7.5 x 300 mm, at a 1 m, nin flow rate) for 1-2 milligram protein preparations, or a TSK 4000 Beckman column (31.5 x 300 mm, at a ml/min flow rate) for 2-10 milligram protein preparations. The elution buffer contained 0.1 M sodium phosphate and 0.3 M NaCI at pH 6.8. Fractions were tested and appropriately combined. The amino acid content was determined for those fractions containing protein so 3 5 that the coupling efficiency for the various proteins at various coupling ratios could be 1 determined. The results of the determinations are presented in Table 11.

L

t Table 11 Coupling Efficiencies of ITC-PGAFA with Various Proteins Protein PGA Molar Excess PGA Chain Number Percent Substitution Anti-CEA antibody 1 0.77 77 monoclonal 1.0 mg 5 1.7 34 10 3.1 31 8.6 43 Goat anti-rabbit antibody monoclonal 1.0 mg 5 1.8 37 Anti-BhCG antibody 1 0 4.6 46 monoclonal 1.0 rng 15 5.2 36 monoclonal 10 mg 15 7.8 52 Anti-digoxin antibody monoclonal 1.0 mg 15 8.1 54 monoclonal 5.0 mg 15 5.5 37 Goat anti-mouse antibody polyclonal 1.0 mg 15 4.3 29

I

Sa Anti-T4 antibody monoclonal 1.0 mg 1 5 6.9 46 Anti-T4 antibody polyclonal 7.0 mg 15 13.8 92 Rabbit Serum Albumin loaded with Theophylline 15 7.8 52 Column 1 of Table 11 lists the quantity of protein used in the reactions to form the various capture reagents. Column 2 lists the mole excess of activated ITC-PGAFA that was reacted with the Column 1 protein. Column 3 provides the number of PGA chains attached ,itt per antibody by the reaction, calculated by amino acid analysis based upon a 40,000 average MW and 305 repeating glutamate residues. Column 4 provides a calculation of the percent efficiency of PGA chain substitution based upon the mole excess of activated PGA used in the reaction.

Example 9 Theophylline ion-Capture Competitive Assay-Antigen Capture Format a. Preparation of theophvlline capture reagent 1 0 The activation of theophylline was accomplished by dissolving theophylline-butylate mg; MW 280.29; 3.57 x 10 5 moles) in methylene chloride (3.0 ml). A three mole excess of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (22 mg; MW 206.3) and a three mole excess of Nhydroxysuccinimide (12.3 mg; MW 115.09) were added, and the reaction mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature. The mixture was filtered to remove 1 5 dicyclohexylurea and was rotavaporated to dryness to yield ten milligrams of Nsuccinimidyltheophylline-butylate (theophylline-butylate-oSu).

The free acid of polyglutamic acid (NH 2 -PGAFA; 1.4 mg; MW 11,798; 1.19 x 10- 7 moles) was dissolved in DMF (0.5 ml) and NMM (1.1 mg; MW 101.15; 1.07 x 10- 5 moles) The the'phylline-butylate-oSu (10 mg; at 1 mg/0.5 ml DMF) was added, and the reaction mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature. Unbound theophylline was removed by dialysis against a 0.1 M Na phosphate buffer at pH 7.0. The theophylli5e content of the resulting capture reagent was analyzed, and the results demonstrated that 3.9 theophylline molecules were attached per PGA chain. The theophylline-PGA capture reagent, which was 5 capable of binding

V

anti-theophylline arnibody, was then diluted to 3 gg/ml in an assay 25 buffer containing '1 Tris, 100 mM NaCI, 1 mM MgCI 2 0.1 mM ZnCI 2 0.1% NaN 3 and 1% fish gelatin i 0 00 0 01 04 0 0) 0 0U o( 00 b. Preparation of the solid phase A fiber matrix was coated with a polymeric quaternary compound to provide the solid 3 0 phase with a positive chasge. Celquat T L-200, a water soluble celiulose derivative, was used. A 0.5% aqsuous solution of Ce!quat' M L-200 (50 gli) containing 10 mM NaCI (50 l) was applied to the solid phase material.

c. Preparation of the indicator reagent 35 The indicator reagent consisted of a conjugate of alkaline phosphatase and antitheophylline antibody, made substantially in accordance with the protocol described in 37

_IIC

~-V

Example 3.b. The indicator reagent was appropriately diluted (as determined by titer curve) in the assay buffer to give 0.17 micrograms of antibody/milliliter.

d. Immunoassay protocol The indicator reagent (200 was placed within a series of reaction tubes. A theophylline standard solution (200 .Il; theophylline-butylate diluted to 0.6, 1.2, 2.5, 4.9, 9.9, 99.2, and 992 gg/ml in 50 mM Tris, 300 mM NaCI and 0.1% NaN 3 at pH 7.2) was then added to each tube. The mixture was incubated ten minutes at 37°C. Capture reagent (200 ul) was added to each tube, and the reaction mixtures were incubated ten minutes at 1 0 370C. An aliquot of each ;qaction mixture (200 lI) was applied to the quat-treated solid phase material, followed by one wash with diluent (75 An enzyme substrate (70 p.l; 1.2 mM 4-methylumbelliferyl-phosphate in a solution of 100 mM AMP, 1.0 mM MgCI 2 0.1% NaN 3 and 4.0 mM tetramisole at pH 10.3) was added at 32°C for reaction with the indicator reagent, and the resulting rate of fluorescence was measured. The results of the 1 5 assay are shown in Table 12. The results demonstrate that as the theophylline test sample concentration increased there was a corresponding decrease in the formation of capture reagent/indicator reagent complex, and therefore, the amount of detectable label associated with the solid phase decreased.

Table 12 STheophylline Ion-Capture Competitive Assay-Antigen Capture Format Capture reagent: Theophylline-PGA Indicator reagent: alkaline phosphatase-labeled anti-theophylline antibody S" Theophvlline (ng/ml) Rate of fluorescence (counts/sec/sec) 0 255 0.6 250 1.2 212 2.5 202 a 4.9 196 9.9 168 99.2 68 992 16 0 380 38 -r Example Phenylcyclidine Ion-Capture Competitive Assay-Antigen Capture Format a. Preparation of Phenvlcyclidine Capture Reagent 4,Hydroxy-Phenylcyclidine (1.1 mg; MW 259.37; 4.24 x 10- 6 moles) was dissolved in tetrahydrofuran (THF; 0.5 ml). One-half milliliter of 10% phosgene in benzene was added (130 mole excess.) The reaction was allowed to proceed at room temperature for 2.5 hours. The solvent was evaporated under a stream of nitrogen to yield a 1 0 residue of phenylcyclidine-4-chioroformate.

The phenylcyclidine-4-chloroformate (1.1 mg) was dissolved in THF (0.5 ml). To this was added NH2-PGAFA (1.7 mg; MW 11,798; 1.19 x 10- 7 moles) dissolved in 1methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (0.5 ml). The reaction was carried out overnight at room temperature and then rotavaporated to dryness. The product was dissolved in 0.1 M sodium 1 5 phosphate (1.5 ml, pH The precipitate was filtered, and the cloudy aqueous filtrate was extracted with methylene chloride until clear. The phenylcyclidine-PGA capture reagent, which was capable of binding with anti-phenylcyclidine antibody, was then diluted to 5 .g/ml in an assay bufer 3a described in Example 9.

b. Preparation of the solid phase The solid phase was prepared substantially in accordance with the method described in Example 9.

o a S c. Preparation of the indicator reagent The indicator reagent consisted of a conjugate of alkaline phosphatase and antiphenylcyclidine antibody. The indicator reagent was diluted 1/250 in the assay buffer as described in Example 9.

d. Immunoassay protocol S 30 The indicator reagent (140 gl) was mixed with a series of samples (50 p.1 each) containing known amounts of phenylcyclidine 25, 60, 120, 250 and 500 ng/ml prepared in human urine), and the mixtures were incubated for ten minutes at 32 0 C. The .s phenylcyclidine-PGA capture reagent (100 p1) was added, and the reaction mixtures were incubated for ten minutes. An aliquot of each reaction mixture (200 p was applied to a solid phase material. The solid phase was then washed, two times. An enzyme substrate p. I; as described in Example 9) was added, and the resulting rate of fluorescence was 39 I measured. The results of the assay are shown in Table 13. The results demonstrate that as the phenylcyclidine test sample concentration increased there was a corresponding decrease in the formation of capture reagent/indicator reagent complex, and therefore, the amount of detectable label associated with the solid phase decreased.

Table 13 Phenylcyclidine Ion-Capture Competitive Assay-Antigen Capture Format Capture reagent: Phenylcyclidine-PGA Indicator reagent: alkaline phosphatase-labeled anti-phenylcyclidine antibody Phenylcyclidine (ng/mll Rate of fluorescence (counts/sec/sec) 0 570 25 133 120 33 250 18 500 9 0 SExample 11 o °2 Digoxin Ion-Capture Competitive Assay Antigen Capture Format a. Preparation of a diqoxin-lgG-PGA capture reagent go.0 The digoxin-lgG-PGA capture reagent was prepared substantially in accordance with the method described in Example 8. with the followi,3 procedural modifications. The ITC-PGA (5 mg; 1.25 x 10- 7 mole; in 1.0 ml of 0.1 M sodium phosphate at pH 8.5) was added to a buffered solution of rabbit IgG-digoxin (1 mg; 6.25 x 10- 9 mole; in 1.4493 ml of 0.1 M sodium phosphate and 0.3 M NaCI at pH 8.5) to form the capture reagent. The Ssolution was stirred and incubated overnight at 37 0 C. The preparation was then fractionated a using HPLC on a BioSil 400 (Bio-Rad 300 mm x 7.5 mm gel filtration column) and eluted at one milliliter/minute with 0.1 M sodium phosphate and 0.3 M NaCI at pH 6.8. The digoxin-lgG-PGA capture reagent, which was capable of binding with anti-digoxin antibody, was then diluted to 3 gg/ml in an assay buffer as described in Example 9.

0A n a e' o a

:CI~L~

c. Preparation of the indicator reagent The indicator reagent consisted of a conjugate of alkaline phosphatase and mouse anti-digoxin antibody (Immuno-search; Emeryville, California 94608). The indicator reagent was diluted to 33.3 ng/ml in the assay buffer as described in Example 9.

1 0 d. Immunoassay protocol The indicator reagent (200 was mixed with a series of samples (200 pl) containing known amounts of digoxin 1.0, 2.5, 5.0 and 50.0 ng/ml prepared in normal human serum). The mixtures were incubated for 15 minutes at 370C. The digoxin- IgG-PGA capture reagent (200 was added, and the reaction mixtures were incubated for 15 minutes. An aliquot of each reaction mixture (200 l1) was applied to the solid phase material, followed by a wash. An enzyme substrate (70 pl; as described in Example 9) was added, and the resulting rate of fluorescence was measured. The results of the assay are shown in Table 14. The results demonstrate that as the digoxin test sample concentration increased there was a corresponding decrease in the formation of capture reagent/indicator 2 0 reagent complex, and therefore, the amount of detectable label associated with the solid phase decreased.

o0 oa 0 0 0 0 0o e Q U O Table 14 Digoxin Ion-Capture Competitive Assay-Antigen Capture Format Capture reagent: Digoxin-lgG-PGA Indicator reagent: alkaline phosphatase-labeled anti-digoxin antibody 0 0 0f o eer 0 00 0 3 0* 0 0 00 Diaoxin (ng/ml) 0 0.5 1.0 50.0 Rate of fluorescence (counts/sec/sec 115 101 91 74 14 Example 12 Digoxin Ion-Capture Competitive Assay Antibody Capture Format a Preparation of the indicator reagent The indicator reagent consisted of a conjugate of alkaline phosphatase and digoxin (Immuno-search). The indicator reagent was diluted to 1/100 in the assay buffer as described in Example 9.

b. Immunoassay protocol The anti-digoxin-PGA capture reagent (200 ul, prepared substantially in accordance with the protocol described in Example 8.c) was mixed with a series of samples (200 gl each) containing known amounts of digoxin as described in Example 11. The 1 5 mixtures were incubated for 15 minutes at 37 0 C. The indicator reagent (200 pl) was added, and the reaction mixtures were incubated for 15 minutes. An aliquot of each reaction mixture (200 pl) was applied to the solid phase (prepared as described in Example 9), followed by a wash. An enzyme substrate (70 gl; as described in Example 9) was added, and S, the resulting rate of fluorescence was measured. The results of the assay are shown in Table 2 0 15. The results demonstrate that as the digoxin test sample concentration increased there was a corresponding decrease in the formation of capture reagent/indicator reagent 0000 S, complex, and therefore, the amount of detectable label associated with the solid phase S."0 decreased.

o o 0 0 1 a0 1 s 0 Sao 42 9 Table Digoxin Ion-Capture Competitive Assay-Antibody Cap'ure Format Capture reagent: anti-digoxin antibody-PGA Indicator reagent: alkaline phosphatase-labeled digoxin Digoxin (na/m\) 0 50.0 Rate of fluorescence (counts/sec/sec) Example 13 Alternative Ion-Capture Sandwich Assay for hCG 00 00 oo oo o o 00o025 0 0 o o 0 a Preparation of the capture reagent An anti-hCG antibody-PGA capture reagent was prepared substantially in accordance with the method described in Example 8.c. above.

b. Preparation of the solid phase A fiber matrix was wetted with buffer (80 pl; containing 300 mM NaCI, 50 mM Tris and 0.1% NaN 3 at pH The matrix was coated with a 0.5% aqueous solution of Celquat m L-200 (50 containing 10 mM NaCI) followed by a second wash with buffer.

30 c. PreParation of the indicator reagent 0 0 0l 9 00 oY 00 6 0 0 0 B fif The indicator reagent consisted of a conjugate of alkaline phosphatase and goat antihCG antibody (made substantially in accordance with the protocol described in Example 3.b).

The indicator reagent was appropriately diluted (as determined by titer curve) in assay buffer containing 25 mM Tris, 100 mM NaCI, 1 mM MgCI 2 0.1 mM ZnCI 2 0.1% NaN 3 35 goat serum and 1% fish gelatin at pH 7.2.

I d. Immunoassay protocol The indicator reagent (140 .Ll) was mixed with a series of samples (50 l) containing known amounts of hCG in normal human serum. The mixtures were incubated for minutes at 31-32 0 C. The anti-hCG antibody-PGA capture reagent (100 u.l) was added, and the reaction mixtures were incubated for 10 minutes. An aliquot of each reaction mixture (200 Al) was applied to the solid phase material, followed by a wash. An enzyme substrate (70 Al; as described in Example 9) was added, and the resulting rate of fluorescence was measured. The results of the assay are shown in Table 16. The results demonstrate that as the hCG test sample concentration increased there was a corresponding 1 0 increase in the formation of capture reagent/analyte/indicator reagent complex, and therefore, the amount of detectable label associated with the solid phase increased.

Table 16 hC Ion-capture Sandwich Assay 1 5 Capture reagent: anti-hCG antibody-PGA Indicator reagent: alkaline phosphatase-labeled anti-hCG antibody Rate of fluorescence (counts/sec/sec) 2 0 hCG-specific capture reagents D o hCG (mlU/ml) hCG-ITC-PGA 0 22 25 8 38 116 100 236 550 644 200,000 2058 4 42 It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the concepts of the present invention are equally applicable to any separation techniques or homogeneous binding assays (wherein the signal generating ability of the label is not altered during the binding 4, 6 reaction) by using oppositely charged solid phase materials and capture reagents. The I embodiments described in detail herein are intended as examples rather than as limitations.

Thus, the description of the invention is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described, but it is intended to encompass all equivalents and subject matter within the spirit and scope of the invention as described above and as set forth in the following claims.

P0 0 0o 0 Q a O O 0 0 0 0 o9 9 0 0 0 09 9 0 0 94 fi

Claims

1. An activated polymeric anionic molecule having the formula: 0 II X-(NH-CH-C) -NH-CH-COO n I UH, C kH) (CH2 z (CH2) z COO COO N(n2) (n+2) wherein n is about 10 to about 500; z is about 1 to about 6; W is selected from the group consisting of Na+, Li+, amine salts, and derivatives thereof; and X is a reactive group or a structure having a reactive group which chemically binds said activated polymer to a specific binding member, 10 with the proviso that the activated polymeric anionic molecule is not 0" polyglutamic acid.

2. The activated polymeric anionic molecule according to claim 1, 0 00 wherein X comprises a spacer of about one to about thirty atoms and said reactive group is selected from the group consisting of an amine-reactive 0 15 moiety, a thiol-reactive moiety, a thiol moiety and a thiol precursor moiety. 0 6* oO 0*0 3. A negatively charged capture reagent, comprising the reaction .o 0 product of: a. a specific binding member; and a"m 20 b. an activated polymeric anionic molecule having the formula: 0 II X-(NH-CH-C) -NH-CH-COO (H2) z (CH 2)z COO COO (n2) (n+2) wherein n is about 10 to about 500; z is about 1 to about 6; N is selected from the group consisting of H+ Na', Li amine salts, and derivatives thereof; and X comprises a spacer of about one to about thirty atoms and a reactive group selected from the group consisting of an amine-reactive moiety, a thio-reactlve moiety, a thiol moiety and a thiol precursor moiety. RLF/0889Z

6- 1 -47 4. The negatively charged capture reagent according to claim 3, wherein said specific binding member has at least one reactive moiety selected from the group consisting of an amino group, a thiol group, a thiol precursor and a thiol-reactive group capable of reacting with X. 5. A negatively charged capture reagent, comprising the reaction product of: a. a specific binding member having an amine-reactive group; and b. a polymeric anionic molecule having the formula: 0 II X-(NH-CH-C) -NH-CH-COO I n I (H2) z (CH 2 z COO COO W(n 2 o« (n+2) P a 10 wherein n is about 10 to about 500; z is about 1 to about 6; W is selected from the group consisting of H Na K Li+, Sog amine salts, and derivatives thereof; and X is H. 15 6. The negatively charged capture reagent according to any one of o6.* claims 3-5, wherein said polymeric anionic molecule is selected from the 00 group consisting of polyglutamic acid, anionic protein or derivitized proteins, polyaspartic acid and polyamino acids.

7. A iothod for detecting an analyte in a test sample, comprising o.r 20 the steps of: a) contacting the analyte with a capture reagent, comprising a first specific binding member conjugated to a polymeric anion or a polymeric cation, and an indicator reagent, comprising a second specific binding member conjugated to a label capable of producing a detectable signal, thereby forming a reaction mixture, wherein said capture reagent is capable of binding a member selected from the group consisting of the analyte, an ancilliary specific binding member, said indicator reagent and a complex thereof, and wherein said indicator reagent is capable of binding a member selected from the group consisting of the analyte, an ancillary specific binding member, said capture reagent and a complex thereof, and wherein said polymeric anion is an activated polymeric anionic V 48 molecule, comprising a compound having the formula: 0 X-(NH-CH-C) -NH-CH-C00 COO COO W wherein n is about 10 to about 500; z is about 1 to about 6; W is selected from the group consisting of H Na K Ll amine salts, and derivatives thereof; and X is a reactive group or moiety having a reactive group that enables the chemical binding of said activated polymer to a specific binding member; b) contacting said reaction mixture with a solid phase having an opposite charge with respect to said capture reagent, whereby said solid S.phase attracts and attaches to said polymeric anion or a polymeric cation, thereby enabling the separation of said capture reagent and complexes thereof from said reaction mixture; and c) detecting said label associated with said solid phase or said reaction mixture as an indication of the presence or amount of the analyte in the sample.

8. The method according to Claim 7, wherein said indicator reagent comprises a hapten conjugated to a label. o 9. The method according to Claim 7 or 8, ,nerein a second charged substance haying an opposite charge with respect to said capture reagent is retained on said solid phase material. 1; 0. The method according to Claim 9, wherein said capture reagent comprises a polymeric anionic substance and second charged substance is a polymeric cationic sirostance.

11. The method according to Claim 10, whe 'i said polymeric cationic substance is selected from the group consisting of a GAFQuat, Sd~i~ethylaminoethyl- dextran, diallyldimethylammonium chloride-hydroxyethyl cellulose polymer, and hexadimethrine bromide.

12. The method according to Claim 10 or Claim 11, wherein said polymeric anionic substance is selected from the group consisting of polyglutamic acid, anionic protein or derivitiTd proteins, polyaspartic acid, and polyamino acids.

13. An activated polymeric anionic molecule, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of Examples 2(a), w'I k F

49- 8, 10(a) or 11(a). 14. A negatively charged capture reagent, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of Examples 2(a), 10(a), 11(a) or 13(a). 15. A method for detecting an analyte in a test sample, comprising the steps of: a) contacting the analyte with a capture reagent, substantially as herein described with reference to any one of Examples 8, 10(a) or 11(a), and an indicator reagent, comprising a specific binding member conjugated to a label capable of producing a detectable signal, thereby forming a reaction mixture, wherein said capture reagent is capable of binding a i..2mber selected from the group consisting of the analyte, an ancillary specific binding member, said indicator reagent and a complex thereof, and wherein S^ said indicator reagent is capable of binding a member selected from the S: group consisting of the analyte, an ancillary specific binding member, o said capture reagent and a complex thereof, b) contacting said reaction mixture with a solid phase having an o 20 opposite charge with respect to said capture reagent, whereby said solid S. phase attracts and attaches to a polymeric anion or a polymeric cation of said capture reagent, thereby enabling the separation of said capture o reagent and complexes thereof from said reaction mixture; and c) detecting said label associated with said solid phase or said reaction mixture as an indication of the presence or amount of the analyte in the sample. 16. A method for detecting an analyte in a test sample substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of Examples 1, 2, 6, 7 or 9-13. 4 DATEr this THIRTEENTH day of MAY 1992 Abbott Laboratories Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON RLF/0889Z /F i