Fowl antibody: VI. The fixation of complement by antibody to soluble antigens. The effect of fresh normal fowl serum on the precipitation reaction

Immunology. 1962 Nov;5(6):656-65.

Abstract

The uptake of haemolytic fowl C′ by fowl anti-BSA and BSA has been detected and measured with sheep red cells sensitized with fowl haemolysin. It was, however, very small compared with the amount of guinea-pig C′ taken up by similar amounts of rabbit anti-BSA, and not directly related to the amount of precipitating antibody in any particular antiserum; nor did it occur when preformed resuspended specific precipitates were added to the C′ solution. Fixation of guinea-pig C′ by fowl anti-BSA could not be demonstrated, either with fresh antiserum, or with heated antiserum in the presence of normal fresh fowl serum.

Uptake of haemolytic fowl C′ was shown to coincide with a great increase in specific precipitation when this was done in 0.9 per cent NaCl. This increase was produced partly by the addition of a non-specific serum factor, and partly by more complete precipitation of the antibody. Specific precipitates formed in 0.9 per cent NaCl in the presence of fresh normal fowl serum (NFS) contained much larger amounts of a macroglobin component than precipitates formed in the absence of NFS or in 8 per cent NaCl.

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies*
  • Antigens*
  • Complement Fixation Tests*
  • Complement System Proteins*
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulins*
  • Precipitin Tests*

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Antigens
  • Immunoglobulins
  • Complement System Proteins