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Cell separation techniques are important in immunology. Major cell populations can be separated successfully with high purity. However, isolation of cells which are specific for particular antigens is more challenging because of the relatively small numbers of antigen-specific cells, and the lack of independent markers available to determine the purity of the isolated population. In this review, the literature describing three principal techniques used to separate antigen-specific cells has been reviewed. Particular emphasis has been placed on yield and purity; the two most important parameters of any purification method. The most promising isolation methods have used immunomagnetic sorting and multiparametric flow cytometric analysis.

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is a pathogenic gram-negative bacterium associated with human disease, especially in young children. Protective immune response to Hib results from antibodies developed against the polyribosylribitol phosphate (PRP) capsular polysaccharide of the bacterium. Several investigators in the study of immune response to Hib have produced human monoclonal antibodies to PRP. Only two previous groups have reported the generation of murine anti-PRP monoclonal antibodies using either immunizing mice with inactivated Hib bacteria or a combination of in vivo and in vitro immunization of mice with PRP conjugate antigen (PRP-D). In this present study, we generated murine anti-PRP monoclonal antibody secreting hybridomas for the first time by simple in vivo immunization with PRP conjugate antigen (PRP-T). The anti-PRP antibodies from one hybridoma clone (B10) are further characterized and potential applications are discussed.