Fluorescent Antibody Methods

Abstract

Those who use or contemplate using the technique of immunofluorescence will find this book an excellent reference. Replete with 12 chapters, two appendices, and 1,155 references, the book contains, among other things, a historical record of the development of immunofluorescence (even indicating at what point Albert Coons had to put aside his role in this development for several years in favor of war duty), a detailed description of the physical and chemical aspects of immunofluorescence, an extensive list of the hardware commercially available for fluorescence microscopy, procedures for obtaining and labeling of antisera as well as the application of labeled antibody to tissue sections, and the use of appropriate controls for immunofluorescence.Because of the recent availability of monospecific antibodies for the detection of the three major classes of immunoglobulins, and the rapid advances in complement research permitting the detection of specific complement components by immunofluorescence (C′3, C′4), the book is already behind times in these areas.