Abstract
Discussion and Conclusions
The present work, in agreement with the results of others (14, 15), indicated that the titer can vary as a function of PVP concentration (Fig. 1). In addition, however, the present experiments showed the importance of the relationship between bovine albumin and PVP concentrations in systems utilizing both of these polymers. For example, the order of titers obtained with various levels of bovine albumin could be reversed (i.e., from 18.3% > 10% > 5% to 5% > 10% > 18.3%) simply by changing the concentration of K-90 PVP from 0 to 1% (Fig. 2).
There is no specific requirement for the level of protein in commercial typing sera (12), and there is appreciable variation in the albumin content of such antisera. It is therefore apparent that if an investigator intends to use a system involving PVP and commercial anti-Rh serum, different levels of PVP may be necessary to achieve optimal results with different antisera. Furthermore, the possibility of false results in Rh typing in the presence of PVP requires that the use of this polymer to enhance agglutination sensitivity be weighed carefully against the potential hazard of nonspecificity and, in any case, be made only under the most stringently controlled conditions.
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