Abstract
In a previous note 1 reference was made to the enhancing effect of increased viscosity on the agglutinative property of specific immune serum. Plasma of abnormally increased viscosity caused agglutination of bacteria to take place in higher dilutions of specific immune serum than normal plasma. Recently, opportunity was afforded to repeat the experiments using the plasma obtained from a patient with hyperinosis. The patient's plasma contained 10.12% protein, of which 5.48% were fibrinogen, 2.27% euglobulin, 1.47% pseudoglobulin I and II and 0.90% albumin (Dr. Grace Medes). The viscosity of this plasma tested with the Hess viscosimeter was over 7, as compared with normal plasma which, according to the technic employed, varied between 1.6 and 1.8.
Tests were made by arranging parallel series of tubes, one row containing plasma with a viscosity of 7, the other with normal plasma with a viscosity of 1.7, from a normal individual. To each row was added type II antipneumococcus serum (New York State Department of Health) so that dilutions ascended from 1-10 to 1-160 as shown in Table I. A suitable amount of type B Friedländer bacilli (kindly supplied by Dr. L. A. Julianelle) which agglutinate specifically in type II antipneumococcus serum was added to each tube. The tubes were incubated for 10 minutes at 37°C., during which time they were inverted gently at frequent intervals to insure thorough mixing. At the end of this time, smears were made from each tube and stained.
Results. There was no agglutination demonstrable in the normal plasma in any tube. Marked clumping was present in most of the tubes containing plasma of high viscosity.
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