Inactivation of Complement by Egg Albumin—Rabbit Antiegg Albumin

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Abstract
Summary: A typical immune system, such as egg albumin—rabbit antiegg albumin, inactivates the complement (C′) of guinea pig, human and pig serum but to different extents. It was found that with antigen to bring the system to equivalence, 2 μg antibody nitrogen was sufficient for nearly complete inactivation of 50 C′H50 units of guinea pig C′ at 0°C for 24 hr, 40 μg were required to inactivate about 90% of the human C′, and 150 μg of antibody nitrogen could inactivate only about 65% of the pig C′. The experiments were also carried out at 37°C for 2 hr. Although the degree of inactivation was generally greater at 37 than at 0°C for each C′, differences were still noted among them. The study included also a comparison of the fixation of the components of C′. The components C′1, C′4, C′2 and C′3 decreased in activity in this order when C′ was inactivated; C′3 was seldom diminished more than 50%.