Serological Distinction Research Articles

Serologic distinction between the rabbit kappa L chain allotype b4 and an allele b4.

Rabbit kappa light (L) chain allotypes are controlled by the allelic genes b4, b5, b6, b9 and a recently described allele b4v. The product of the b4v gene differs from that of b4 by at least two amino acid substitutions in the constant region. A serologic distinction between the b4 and b4v allotyes has now been detected by a radioimmune assay using one of six anti-b4 sera tested. The distinction was enhanced by fractionation of this antiserum on an immunoadsorbent containing cottontail rabbit IgG. IgG with L chains of the b4v type are deficient in their ability to inhibit binding of b4 IgG to the antibody preparation. L chains isolated from b4 and b4v IgG samples could not be distinguished by this assay indicating that interaction with an H chain is required for expression of the L chain determinants that differentiate b4 from b4v.

Mycobacterium leprae specific antibodies detected by radioimmunoassay.

A radioimmunoassay was developed for demonstration of antibodies against M. leprae specific antigenic determinants. The specificity of the assay was tested with hyperimmune rabbit antisera against other mycobacteria and shown to be very high. The titre of M. leprae specific antibodies in a lepromatous serum pool was 10(5). Sixty-one of sixty-two lepromatous sera, all of twelve borderline sera and twenty of forty-eight tuberculoid sera were positive in the assay, whereas all of thirty-eight control sera from tuberculin positive individuals from a leprosy non-endemic area were negative. Aplication as a diagnostic test for subclinical infection with M. leprae is discussed. The principle of the test appears promising for serological distinction between pulmonary infection with M. tuberculosis and other mycobacteria.

Demonstration of serotype d and g specificities of Streptococcus mutans by immunodiffusion

Although types d and g strains of Streptococcus mutans have been shown to be genetically homogeneous, a serological distinction between these two serotypes was demonstrated in immunodiffusion tests. Antiserum against Strep. mutans strain B13 (serotype d) strongly cross-reacted with the autoclaved antigen obtained from type g strain OMZ65 and vice versa. Other strains of types d and g showed similar patterns in immunodiffusion tests. When the antiserum against type d or g strain was adsorbed with cross-reacting serotypes a, d or g cells, the adsorbed antiserum gave a specific precipitin band against the homologous antigen. Strep. mutans strain 6715 which had been designated type d was reclassified as type g because of the development of a single precipitin band between 6715 antigen and anti-OMZ65 (serotype g) serum, adsorbed with types d and a cells. Furthermore, the four AHT substrains in our collection which had been classified as serotype a were found to be type g, on the basis of immunodiffusion pattern using type g and a specific antisera.

Ankylosing spondylitis. A case positive for rheumatoid factor and HL-A 27 (W 27)

A CLINICAL, roentgenographic, and serologic distinction between seropositive rheumatoid arthritis and the rheumatoid variants has recently gained wide acceptance.1-2Typical features that distinguish rheumatoid variants (eg, ankylosing spondylitis) from rheumatoid arthritis include, in the former, sacroiliitis, the presence of HL-A 27 (W 27), and the absence of rheumatoid factor and subcutaneous nodules. Our patient, in whom HL-A 27 was present in addition to rheumatoid factor and typical subcutaneous nodules, had classical ankylosing spondylitis associated with ulcerative colitis. Report of a Case A 48-year-old man had complained of back pain at 28 years of age. A diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis was made on the basis of roentgenographic evidence. At 34 years of age, the patient contracted ulcerative colitis. During the past 12 years, the patient has had mild, symmetrical arthralgias and stiffness in his hands, knees, and feet. Ten years ago, at 38 years of age, subcutaneous nodules appeared over

Taxonomy and distribution of the grey kangaroos, Macropus giganteus Shaw and Macropus Fuliginosus (Desmarest), and their subspecies (Marsupialia : Macropodidae)

Of all the Macropodidae, grey kangaroos cover the widest range in Australia. There is considerable geographical variation in morphology and opinions have differed as to the taxonomic status of the various kinds. This investigation supports a primary division of grey kangaroos into two species-eastern and western on the basis of serological, reproductive, and morphological distinctions. The eastern species, M. giganteus, is found in all eastern states, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania, plus south-east South Australia, while the western species, M. fuliginosus, occurs in south-western Western Australia and southern South Australia including Kangaroo I., extending into western Victoria and south-western New South Wales, where the ranges of the two species overlap. Transferrin polymorphism was detected by starch-gel electrophoresis, revealing three phenotypes, A, AB, and B. Western populations possess all three phenotypes, but eastern populations have type A only. Western and eastern grey kangaroos also have characteristic antigens. Eastern animals when immunized with sera from western kangaroos produced antibodies which during double-diffusion analysis reacted with sera from western individuals. Likewise the reverse immunization acted as expected. Thus the origin of individuals, from western or eastern populations, could be determined. Hybrids were not found in the field, but matings between captive western males and eastern females the reverse mating never occurred produced hybrids whose antigens were characteristic of both parental types. In eastern grey kangaroos the mean length of oestrous'cycle, 45.6 days, and gestation period, 36.4 days, is longer than in western kangaroos, with mean lengths 34.9 and 30.6 days. Oestrous cycles of hybrid females and gestation periods of all hybrids are of intermediate length, 37.6 and 34.1 days respectively. The colour of eastern grey kangaroos ranges from light to dark grey while western kangaroos are brown. The history of the previously described taxa and the effect of the current findings on the nomenclature relating to grey kangaroos are discussed.

A serological method for the identification of Spirilla.

Antisera specific for Spirillum thermolabile antigens (TLA) of 29 Spirillum strains were obtained by adsorption of antisera prepared against unheated cells with homologous heat-treated cells. Each antiserum was tested against all of the Spirillum strains by cross-agglutination. Cross-agglutinations occurring at serum dilutions of 1:160 and above were considered indicative of a sufficient degree of antigenic relationship to permit serological grouping, and the antigenic relationships within such groups were supported by adsorption tests. The TLA antisera were used successfully to identify unknown Spirillum isolates. The high specificity of Spirillum TLA antisera allowed serological distinction of most of the species of Spirillum from one another and from members of related genera.

Studies of Antisera to Adult Human Hemoglobin

Summary Of 20 rabbits immunized with adult human hemoglobin, 10 eventually gave good precipitating antisera, 5 gave weak antisera and 5 had not produced precipitins after three courses of injections. When mixed with hemoglobin all the antisera gave red precipitates and were able to precipitate completely adult and cord blood hemoglobin in optimal proportions or antiserum excess. The antisera did not agglutinate human red cells. Three of six antisera tested were able to annul the action of carbonic anhydrase. Absorption experiments with two antisera showed a serological distinction between the major hemoglobin components of a cord blood and an adult blood. Reactions of the antisera suggest the presence of two or more antigenically distinct hemoglobins in a single sample of blood from one adult.

The antigens of Trichomonas foetus isolated from cows and pigs.

The serological properties of the two strains of Trichomonas foetus (strain B and strain M) isolated from uterine infections in cows in Belfast and in northern England, respectively, and two strains isolated from the caecum of pigs were in vestigated with rabbit antisera to each of the four strains by direct agglutination and by precipitation of a saline extract of the dired organisms in tubes and in gel-diffusion plates.There was considerable cross-reaction between the four strains. By the use of predominantly polysaccharide fractions from strains B and M and the predominantly protein fraction TF 4 from stratin B, the polysaccharide complex of lines could be distinguished from the protein lines.The major protein antigens were common to all four strains, but the major polysaccharide antigens were only partially shared.The cow strains B and M were readily distinguished from each other but had a variable though slight serological relationship. The two pig strains were very closely related to each other but were not identical. Cross-reaction revealed a relation between the cow and the pig strains. The cow strain B was more closely related than the M strain to the pig strains.The serological distinctions do not justify the separation of the pig and the cow strains of T. foetus into two species.I wish to thank Prof. W. T. J. Morgan, F.R.S. for preparations of diethylene glycol extracts and kind advice and Dr Winifred Watkins for ethanol fractionation of antigen and for enzyme preparations. I am also grateful to Dr A. E. Pierce of the Institute of Animal Physiology at Babraham for the isolation of clones from the S2 strain.

Serological distinction of adult and foetal human haemoglobin.

Serological distinction of adult and foetal human haemoglobin.

A further serological distinction between the haemagglutinins of Dolichos biflorus and Phaseolus lunatus.

A Further Serological Distinction between the Haemagglutinins of Dolichos biflorus and Phaseolus lunatus

QUANTITATIVE STUDIES OF BRUCELLA PRECIPITIN SYSTEMS

Quantitative cross precipitation studies with goat antisera show the three endoantigens of the brucella to be serologically distinguishable. Although the endoantigens of Br. abortus and Br. suis are very similar, they do not react identically, permitting the serological distinction of the two organisms. These differences in cross precipitation may be used to identify an organism of the brucella group or to determine the organism responsible for a brucella antiserum.

On serological distinction between infiltrating neoplasm (glioma) and normal brain tissue

Thanks to the work of Vitebsky and Behrens, it became known that within the neuroectoderm itself it is possible to detect immunospecific structural differences that indicate a certain organ, possibly a functionally specific imprint of individual parts of the tissue of the central nervous system.

The Relation Between Specific and Non-Specific Agglutination in the Brucella Group

1. Altogether 117 strains of Brucella, belonging to different types and isolated from different parts of the world, have been examined by the thermoagglutination, salt agglutination, acid agglutination, and specific serum agglutination tests.2. The results obtained by the thermo-agglutination and the serum agglutination tests are in close agreement; there is a fairly high degree of correlation between these tests and the acid agglutination test, and a rather lower correlation with the salt agglutination test.3. Generally speaking, a strain which is highly thermo-agglutinable is frequently agglutinated by salt, is usually agglutinated strongly by acid, and reacts to a paramelitensis, but not to an abortus serum.4. A strain which is moderately thermo-agglutinable is seldom agglutinated by salt, is frequently agglutinated by acid, and reacts either with an abortus or a paramelitensis serum, or with both sera.5. A strain which is not thermo-agglutinable is not agglutinated by salt, seldom reacts markedly to acid agglutination, and is generally agglutinated by an abortus, but not by a paramelitensis serum.6. There remain, however, a certain number of strains, particularly of the porcine and bovine abortus types which, though non-thermo-agglutinable, inagglutinable by salt, and reacting only with an abortus serum, yet show some degree of acid agglutination.7. Of the twelve porcine strains examined only one strain was strongly thermo-agglutinable; of the forty-seven bovine strains only two were strongly thermo-agglutinable, a further two showing a milder degree of thermoagglutinability; of the forty-seven melitensis strains eight were strongly, and thirteen were moderately thermo-agglutinable; while of the eleven paramelitensis strains ten were strongly thermo-agglutinable.8. These results are taken to indicate, in accordance with the suggestion made by certain previous workers, that those strains which are non-thermoagglutinable, are not agglutinated by salt, and are agglutinated by an abortus but not by a paramelitensis serum, represent the smooth form, while those strains which are strongly thermo-agglutinable, are frequently agglutinated by salt, and are agglutinated by a paramelitensis but not by an abortus serum, represent the rough form.9. If this interpretation is correct it will be noticed that the great majority of the porcine and bovine strains examined were of the smooth type, that nearly half the melitensis strains were partially or completely rough, while all but one of the paramelitensis strains were rough.10. Whether melitensis strains have a greater tendency than abortus strains to undergo the smooth to rough transformation it is difficult to say with certainty, but the reports in the literature and the observations in the present paper render this probable.11. By serial passage through broth at 5-day intervals, it is possible to transform smooth strains of all three types into the rough form. This transformation appears to occur more readily and to proceed further in a given time with melitensis than with abortus strains; but since only three strains of each type were examined, the results may have been determined as much by chance selection of strains as by any greater inherent tendency of the strains of the melitensis type to undergo variation.12. It is clear that none of the tests employed suffices to differentiate individual strains of abortus and melitensis. The thermo-agglutination test and the agglutination test with specific smooth and rough sera do, however, enable a differentiation to be made between smooth and rough strains of all types.13. In the present paper no attempt has been made to distinguish abortus and melitensis strains by specific agglutination and absorption tests. The general failure of workers hitherto to obtain any clear-cut serological distinction between these types may possibly be due to the fact that many of the strains with which they worked were either partially or completely rough. Since the rough antigen seems to be more or less alike in strains of all types, it is clear that its presence would tend to obscure any difference that might exist between the smooth antigens of the different types. If such a difference does exist it is probable that it will be elicited only by a comparison of absolutely smooth strains.

On the Racial Distribution of Some Agglutinable Structures of Human Blood

Abstract There are recorded in the literature some attempts to make a serological distinction of races with the methods that had proved successful in the differentiation of species. One may state that these efforts have not led to quite definite results. The claim of Bruck (1) that the sera of Caucasians, Chinese and Malays can be distinguished by means of complement fixation tests could not be confirmed by later workers.1 Marshall and Teague (6) observed some differences in similar tests but in their opinion the data are not so clear cut as to permit of a practical application. Negative results were obtained by Fitzgerald (7) who feels justified in concluding that with the method employed “the existence of specific racial differences … has not been proven.” Taking into account the difficulty of distinguishing the sera of closely related species, e.g., man and chimpanzee (Nuttal (8)), one would scarcely expect a more favorable outcome without resorting to very sensitive methods.

A Serological Study of the Haemolytic Streptococci associated with Scarlatina

1. A minority only of scarlatina streptococci are agglutinated by antisera for individual strains and no group agglutination has been observed.2. Absorption tests reveal the existence of common or generalised agglutinogenic constituents but these are not restricted to scarlatina strains and can be recognised among the majority of the haemolytic streptococci isolated from various sources.3. Though certain serological groups among scarlatina streptococci may be recognised as corresponding generally to “types” described by Smith and Griffith, there is such considerable antigenic overlap among the different groups that the differentiation and relationship of strains cannot be expressed satisfactorily by formulating definite serological types.4. A system of serological analysis of scarlatina and other haemolytic streptococci is suggested (see Table IV).5. While strains presenting particular serological characters may be associated more frequently with scarlatina, haemolytic streptococci with common serological characters occur both in scarlatina and other conditions. No essential serological distinction can be drawn between scarlatinal and other haemolytic streptococci and a “Streptococcus scarlatinae” group cannot be defined by serological methods.6. Among the haemolytic streptococci derived from conditions other than scarlatina no relationship exists between serological characteristics and toxigenic properties (as evidenced by cutaneous reactions to culture nitrates).We have to thank Drs J. Smith and F. Griffith for cultures of the type strains referred to in the text.

AGGLUTINATION AFFINITIES OF THE ABORTUS-MELITENSIS GROUP OF BACTERIA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO TWO HUMAN STRAINS

The conclusions to be drawn from this study are that while there appears to be evidence of serological distinctions between B. abortus and B. melitensis cultures as studied by earlier workers, the experiments reported in this paper show no serological distinctions among the six strains used in the study. B. melitensis II and B. melitensis III were found to be identical with the bovine and swine strains by means of agglutination and agglutinin absorption reactions in unheated sera, by agglutination in heated sera, and with the use of heated cultures in unheated and heated sera.