The distribution of the immune bodies occurring in Types I,II and III antipneumococcus serum

Abstract

Avery 1 states that the immune bodies occurring in Types I and II are completely precipitated by 38 to 42 percent saturation with ammonium sulphate, and that they were incompletely precipitated by (a) ammonium sulphate in less than 38 percent saturation, (b) saturation with sodium chloride, (c) dilution and saturation with carbon dioxide and (d) removal of crystalloids by dialysis. He states that the most practical purification appears to be precipitation by 38 to 42 percent saturation with ammonium sulphate. The higher saturation, i. e., the 42 percent, corresponds to about 47.6 cc. of saturated ammonium sulphate solution.

Felton 2 finds that a 10 times dilution with distilled water containing 4 percent N/1 phosphoric acid per volume of antiserum, will, with Type I, completely precipitate the immune bodies. He has been less successful with some of the antisera of Types II and III. especially those of low protective value. We have corroborated Felton's findings with Type I. Practically a complete precipitation of the immune bodies occurs when diluted with distilled water containing 4 percent N/1 phosphoric acid per volume of antiserum. Felton's same technique on Types II and III has given us varying results.

Using ammonium sulphate as a precipitating agent, we corroborated Avery's work in finding that the immune bodies were completely precipitated by half saturation with saturated ammonium sulphate solution. We also found that the methods of separation of the so-called euglobulin and pseudoglobulin by ammonium sulphate and sodium chloride showed immune bodies in both globulins. We found, however, that that portion of so-called euglobulin which is precipitated with 30 percent saturated ammonium sulphate solution, saturated sodium chloride or 12½ percent dried sodium sulphate, contained after dialysis only 8 to 10 percent of the total immune bodies.