Production of a monoclonal antibody against the 128 kDa (CagA) protein of Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori is recognised as an important factor in gastroduodenal pathology. The 128 kDa CagA protein has been established as a useful marker of H. pylori strains associated with more severe forms of disease. A mouse monoclonal antibody raised against the CagA protein has been produced and characterised as belonging to the IgG1 subtype. It identified the protein in all clinical isolates (10/10) from this laboratory and in two NCTC reference strains (NCTC 11637 and NCTC 11961). No cross-reacting proteins were detected in H. pylori L2, a well characterised strain known not to contain the cagA gene, or in four Helicobacter sp. from non-human sources (H. canis, H. mustelidae, H. muridarum and H. acinonyx). The monoclonal antibody was used to develop an antigen capture ELISA system for detecting the presence of antibodies to the CagA protein in human serum samples.