Electrophoretical Studies on the Antibodies in Serological Reaction of Syphilis

Abstract

Davis, et al., describing the Wassermann antibody, said that it has a rather broad range of mobility with its center between beta- and gamma-globulin, although, no separate peak is there.The present report also discussed the mutual relationship between serum protein fractions and antibodies in Wassermann, Meinicke and Murata tests.ExperimentalElectrophoretic analysis and fractionation were carried out with the Tiselius' apparatus using Schlieren-diagonal method.Pooled syphilitic human sera were dialyzed, before electrophoresis, against 1/20M phosphate buffer of pH 8.0.Electrophoresis was carried out until the components. were distributed throughout the length of the cell, and then compensated so that the ascending albumin peak and alpha-globulin peak might be situated respectively above and below the flange plates between the upper and lower compartments.The compartments were then seprated by sliding over the plates, and albumin separated above the plates was taken out with along pipette. Repeating the same process, fractions were also prepared.Serologic actiivities of these fractions were determined by Wassermann, Meinicke and Murata tests.Concentrations of serum proteins in syphilitic serum were estimated on electrophoretic patterns, then compared with those of normal serum.Results and DiscussionResults in Wassermann, Meinicke and Murata tests, are shown in Tables 1-3, and the relationship between these tests and the degree of serum dilution is shown in Table 4.Most of the fractions containing gamma-globulin indicate positive reaction in these tests. Therefore, it is considered that the antibodies in serologic tests for syphilis are contained in gamma-globulin.Even though beta-globulin may contin Wassermann antibody as Davis, et al described, since beta-globulin concentration in fraction is not high, the fraction may not indicate positive reaction.Table 5 shows that in sypholitic sera, an increase of gamma-globuling occurs, with some decreasee of albumin, and almost no quantitative change in alpha- or beta-globulins.It is observed that gamma-globulin increases remarkably, but the amount of beta-globulin does not change perceptibly.Therefore, even though beta-globulin may contain antibody, its amount is cosidered to be very small in comparison with that in gamma-globulin.1) Wassermann antibody is chiefly contained in gamma-globulin.2) The antibodies in Meinicke and Murata tests are closely related to Wassermann antibody, and are also chiefly contained in gamma-globulin.3) In syphilitic sera are found an increase of gamma-globulin, some decrease of albumin, and almost no quantitative change of alpha- and beta-globulins.