Abstract
The comparative thermostability of specific complement fixing antibodies resulting from protein immunization, and thermolability of so called complement fixing antibodies present in syphilitic sera, was recently reported by one of us 1 in these PROCEEDINGS. The former antibodies were found to withstand a temperature of 70 degrees C., while the latter were destroyed between 62 and 65 degrees C. In view of the fact that more and more interest is being developed in complement fixation in connection with bacterial diseases, these studies were extended to complement fixing antibodies resulting from bacterial immunization.
Three antisera were employed: (1) Antityphoid (rabbit) serum, (2) antiabortion (ox) serum and (3) antimallei (rabbit) serum. The antigens were bacillary suspensions of the specific organisms titrated in accordance with standard technique. The complement fixation tests were carried out in each case with unheated serum and the same immune serum subjected to different temperatures up to 85 degrees C., for varying intervals.
It was found after subjecting these sera to a water-bath temperature of 65 degrees C. (the thermal destructive temperature of syphilitic sera) for I hour, that the antibodies remained in tact. Higher temperatures showed varying degrees of antibody destruction depending particularly on the time of exposure. One hour heating at 70 degrees C. caused between 20 and 60 per cent. of antibody destruction. Thirty minutes exposure at 75 degrees C. caused between 80 to 90 per cent. of destruction. Fifteen minutes at 80 degrees C. destroyed the antibodies completely.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.