The present invention relates to methods and materials for the detection and quantitation 8-OH-Ade in biological specimens. Specifically, the present invention is directed to a group of highly specific monoclonal antibodies reactive with the modified nucleoside structure 8-OH-Ade, and to various immunoassays for 8-OH-Ade utilizing these monoclonal antibodies. The monoclonal antibodies of the present invention may be used in assays for diagnosing or monitoring the progression of certain types of cancer, in addition to a variety of other diseases associated with mutagenesis resulting from oxidative damage of DNA. Assays utilizing the monoclonal antibodies of the present invention may also be used to analyze or monitor toxicant exposure, such as from environmental sources. The monoclonal antibodies of the present invention were prepared with the immunogen 8-OH-adenosine coupled to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), not to 8-OH-Ade directly. It is believed that the monoclonal antibodies bind with the base portion of the structure (8-OH-Ade) and not the carbohydrate (ribose) or protein linkage region of the conjugate, because, as demonstrated, conjugates bound to nucleosides other than 8-OH-adenosine were unreactive with these antibodies. Therefore, the antibodies of the present invention can be used to detect and quantitate (by the use of a standard curve) the presence of 8-OH-Ade in biological specimens of DNA. Procedures for such an assay include immobilizing the DNA, denaturing it to disrupt the base-pairing scheme exposing the free base structures, and quantitating the amount of 8-OH-Ade present per amount of DAN in a quantitative immunoassay.
Detection and quantitation of 8-OH-adenine using monoclonal antibodies