A practical technique for preparation of antiserum to canine factor VIII-related antigen.

Identification and measurement of canine factor VIII-related antigen (VIIIR:Ag) has many clinical and research applications, including differential diagnosis of hemophilia A and von Willebrand's disease, use as a marker for specific cell types, and elucidation of the structure of this factor VIII component. We have developed a practical method for producing antibodies to canine VIIIR:Ag that uses 2% agarose filtration for purification and identifies the antigen by correlation with the elution of the peak A280 fraction in the void volume. Antisera for electroimmunoassay (EIA) can be produced in less than four weeks from simple starting materials and with commonly available laboratory equipment. This technique would be useful for either clinical veterinary or comparative research laboratories.