Epsilon Open Archive

Abstract

Immunoassays are widely used for detection and quantifcation of analytes in biological samples, but are vulnerable to analytical errors caused by interfering sample substances. Of particular interest are endogenous anti-animal antibodies that may bind to the immunoassay antibodies and cause erroneous test results. This phenomenon is a hazard to patient safety in both human and veterinary medicine. Here, we demonstrate that anti-mouse antibodies in dogs bind selectively to diferent regions of the murine IgG molecule, cross-react with IgG from diferent species, and consist of all major antibody classes present in canine serum (IgA, IgG and IgM). The antibody characteristics varied among individuals and their prevalence difered between two dog breeds. The selective binding to diferent IgG regions suggests that the antibodies might not originate from immunization through exposure to mice or other species. These fndings show that canine anti-mouse antibodies are highly heterogeneous in nature and therefore require a combination of strategies to be counteracted.