Biological Activity of Soluble Antigen-Antibody Complexes

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Abstract
Summary: The effect of enzymatic treatment of rabbit antibody in the induction of the skin-reactive and complement-fixing properties of soluble complexes was studied. Antibody fragments obtained by papain or peptic digestion failed to induce these biological activities with antigen and failed to sensitize guinea pigs for passive cutaneous anaphylaxis. Three fragments (Fractions I, II and III) of normal rabbit γ-globulin, obtained by papain digestion by the method of Porter, were aggregated by coupling with bis-diazotized benzidine. Two of the three fragments (Fractions I and II) did not induce either complement-fixing or skin-reactive properties upon aggregation, whereas the aggregated product of the third fragment (Fraction III) had both these activities. This fragment (Fraction III) had an affinity for guinea pig tissues and would compete with antibody for the same site in tissue fixation. The role of an antibody segment (Fraction III), containing no antibody-combining site, in the induction of allergic reactions and complement fixation was discussed.

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