Abstract
The shortcomings in the diagnostic value of the Wassermann reaction have been demonstrated by many authors. Of late, however, in addition to errors inherent to this reaction on account of its very nature, different investigators called attention to discrepancies arising from the use of various modifications. There is a definite tendency among the serologists to standardize the Wassermann test as a whole and thus make the results obtained by different workers comparable. In view of facilitating this standardization, we wish to call attention to certain qualities of antigen which have not been described thus far.
So far as the chemical composition of antigen is concerned, the pure lipoid (acetone insoluble fraction of tissue lipoids) properly prepared is, in our experience, by far superior to any watery or alcoholic extracts, as well as to those reinforced by cholesterin. 1 We found, however, that in order to obtain constant results it is not sufficient to merely ascertain the chemical composition of antigen, but its physical state as well. By changing the method of emulsifying the alcoholic solution of acetone insoluble tissue lipoids in salt solution, we obtained emulsions which were essentially different from one another. In general, the emulsions can be divided into two groups: those opaque and those only slightly opalescent and fluorescent. The two types are essentially different; thus no amount of dilution of the opaque emulsions will give them the fluorescent appearance characteristic for the second group of emulsions even though the degree of opalescence can be approached.
We found that the results of Wassermann tests performed on the same sera with these two emulsions give different results, and in general the opaque emulsions are more anticomplementary and the fluorescent are more antigenic.
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