Abstract
Summary
Antigen elimination rates for massive doses of bovine albumin from the circulation of rabbits were resolved into two relative groups: (a) those eliminating the antigen rapidly, and (b) those retaining residual antigen for an extended period. All antibody-forming sites were assumed to be saturated with this antigen, and in the latter group antibody formation was suppressed. Data are presented suggesting that the breakdown and/or removal of an antigen from an antibody-forming site may be a necessary prerequisite to antibody formation. The rates of elimination of antigen from the various organs of the host are discussed in relation to postulated mechanisms concerned with serum sickness and the late sequelae of streptococcal infections.
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