Fetal Response to Antigenic Stimulus

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Abstract
Summary: In addition to “β2A-” and β2M-globulins, the serum of adult sheep contains 7 S γ-globulins composed of two cross-reacting components, an electrophoretically fast and a more slowly migrating component. The appearance of each of these components in the sera of stimulated fetal lambs at different times suggests that they may be functionally distinct. The normal fetal lamb during the latter half of gestation has small amounts of β2M and 7 S γ-globulin in its serum. Tissue culture results indicate that the β2M-protein is produced predominantly in the spleen, with some production also evident in the lymph nodes. This technique has also indicated the production by normal fetal lymph nodes of a slowly migrating γ-globulin which appears to be distinct from the fast and slow γ-globulins that appear after stimulation. In response to antigenic stimulus, a heightened production of β2M protein is induced. In the absence of complete adjuvant, little 7 S γ-globulin is formed. The presence of adjuvant in the stimulus elicits the production of relatively great amounts of fast γ-globulin, and only much later of slow γ-globulin and of β2A-globulin. Large amounts of 7 S γ-globulin may be present in the fetal serum even in the absence of detectable circulating antibody, or in cases in which the antibody that is produced is predominantly associated with β2M-globulin. These observations are discussed in relation to the possibility that some of the γ-globulin formed by the fetal lamb may lack specific antibody function.

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