Abstract
Abstract
To examine whether an innocuous, nonbacterial-associated immunogen could generate a cold agglutinin autoreactive antibody response, rabbits were hyperimmunized with sheep erythrocytes. Of five animals immunized, one developed an autoreactive antibody population which agglutinated autologous and allogenic erythrocytes at temperatures below 37°. The cold agglutinin antibody activity was present in the IgM class immunoglobulin fraction since only the excluded volume of a Sephacryl S-200 serum fractionation, and purified IgM, contained detectable activity. The cold agglutinin antibody was hemolytic in the presence of guinea pig complement, since whole serum, and purified IgM, sensitized rabbit erythrocytes for lysis in a biphasic temperature hemolysis assay. In hemolytic inhibition assays, the cold agglutinin antibody was sugar specific. The relative sugar ligand specificity in this assay was shown to be N-acetylgalactosamine > melibiose > galactose > lactose. The hyperimmune anti-sheep erythrocyte serum agglutinated both sheep erythrocytes and Group C streptococcal vaccine at 4° and at 37°. These data suggest certain animals can respond to nonbacterial-associated immunogen with antibody specific for the immunogen, but which may cross-react with autologous sugar determinants.
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