Abstract
Our present knowledge of anaphylaxis is based almost entirely on the study of proteins in solution, such as blood serum. From the standpoint of infectious disease, the analysis of the immunological reaction to formed elements would appear to be of greater importance. The anaphylactic response to bacteria has regularly been found to be extremely slight. The present report deals with a study of the anaphylactic response to red blood cells.
Friedberger reported during the current year that guinea pigs could not be sensitized to alien red blood cells either by the active or by the passive method. On the contrary, these animals can regularly be sensitized by either method provided the proper technique be followed. In order to sensitize actively against alien red blood cells it is essential to give a series (2 or 3) of preliminary injections, instead of the single sensitizing injection which is customary in the case of serum. The reason for this will be obvious from the subsequent data. As regards passive sensitization, it is of importance to note that Friedberger, like Thiele and Embleton and others who have worked on this subject, used the serum of rabbits immunized against sheep red blood cells. This particular type of serum, however, is peculiarly unfitted for such an experiment. It possesses primary toxicity for the guinea-pig tissues, which is usually ascribed to the presence of the same antigen in sheep cells and guinea-pigs cells. Consequently the latter neutralize the injected hemolysins, instead of anchoring them in unchanged form. If, however, the serum of rabbits immunized against ox red blood cells is used, passive sensitization is invariably induced.
The mechanism differs somewhat from that of serum anaphylaxis. As in the latter, indeed, the essential factor is the cellular or anchored antibody.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.