Abstract
Antisera used for detecting the presence of the Rh antigen in human erythrocytes have been of two types: the serum of guinea pigs immunized against the red blood cells of Rhesus monkeys, 1 , 2 and the serum of certain Rh—human beings who have developed antibodies against the Rh antigen. 3 , 4 These latter sera are not readily procurable since human beings possessing the Rh antibody are infrequently encountered and accordingly the incidence of their employment is greatly restricted. Guinea pig anti-rhesus sera also have limitations to their usefulness. Certain differences have been noted in the Rh antigen as found in monkey and human erythrocytes, 5 , 6 and the implications of these differences as yet have not been clarified. Further, the production of such sera in certain laboratories may be hampered by the present war-time scarcity of Rhesus monkeys. For these practical reasons, as well as for certain theoretical considerations, we have undertaken the production of Rh antisera by inoculating experimental animals with Rh + human erythrocytes.
Guinea pigs were inoculated with varying doses of red blood cells over a period of 3 months. The cells used were from an Rh+, group O, type MN individual. The presence of the Rh antigen in these cells was assured by the fact that they agglutinated in several absorbed guinea pig anti-rhesus sera and in 6 human anti-Rh sera. Immune serum obtained in this manner when absorbed, according to our previously reported technic 2 with group O, type MN, Rh cells, distinguished sharply between known Rh + and Rh + human erythrocytes of all blood groups.
In view of these findings it would appear that the possibilities for producing Rh anti-sera, useful in testing the red blood cells of human beings belonging to any blood group, have been greatly extended.
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