Antibodies to lactalbumin interfere with its radioimmunoassay in human plasma

Two radioimmunoassays for human lactalbumin have been established using a rabbit antiserum. One assay uses a second antibody to separate bound from free label; the other uses polyethylene glycol to precipitate gamma globulin non-specifically. It is confirmed that about half the normal human population have a substance in their blood which inhibits the binding of lactalbumin to the rabbit antibody. Comparison of the two assays has demonstrated that this material is not lactalbumin but a naturally occurring antibody. It is shown that it is in the IgG fraction of human plasma and is probably a cross-reacting antibody to bovine lactalbumin. None out of fifteen males and fourteen out of fifty eight non-pregnant, non-lacatating females had low levels of lactalbumin in their blood (0.6-2.0 ng/ml). The assay could not detect a statistically significant difference between normal women and those with either benign breast disease or metastatic mammary carcinoma. (Auth.)