Factors that Enhance the Potency of Streptococcal Group-Specific Antisera

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
It has been determined that Groups A and C streptococcal antisera should contain a minimum of 5 mg of group-specific antibody per ml if they are to be used in the capillary-precipitin test for the serologic recognition of streptococci. An antiserum of this potency gives an immediate heavy precipitate. Many unselectively bred rabbits that do not produce potent antisera after the first series of intravenous immunizations, do so after the second series. Sixty percent of 30 rabbits had antibody levels greater than 5 mg/ml after the first series with Group C vaccine; 90% responded in this manner after the second series. Improvement of antisera with a second series was also observed when Group A vaccine was employed. Especially high levels of antibody were seen in offspring obtained by selectively breeding rabbits that showed a high titer of group-specific antibody after immunization. Eighteen out of 19 of these offspring had more than 5 mg of antibody/ml after the first immunization, and six had antibody levels between 36 and 62 mg/ml after the second series of immunizations. Preliminary studies suggest that this genetic approach will be useful also in enhancement of activity of Group A antisera.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: