THE SPECIFICITY OF THE PASSIVE HEMAGGLUTINATION METHODS USED IN SEROLOGY OF TUBERCULOSIS

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Abstract
Using more than 20 different polysaccharide and protein antigens isolated from tubercle bacilli or tuberculins, it was confirmed that polysaccharide does not adhere to the surface of tanned red cells nor protein to the normal red cell surface. The Middlebrook-Dubos test with normal red cells and the Boyden test with tanned red cells are therefore strictly specific, the former detects only antipolysaccharides and the latter antiproteins. The phosphatide hemagglutination test using normal red cells is also specific, it detects only antiphosphatides. The antipolysaccharide, antiprotein and antiphosphatide were shown to be completely distinct from each other in tuberculous serum. Each of them can be completely removed from serum by absorption with red cells or kaolin particles coated with its corresponding antigen. Hemosensitizing ability and in vitro antigenicity were found to be 2 distinct properties of tubercle polysaccharide and protein antigens.