Quantitative studies on the effect of haptenes on the reaction between antigens and antibodies

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Abstract
Quantitative studies on the inhibition by haptenes of the antigen-antibody precipitate have been made on 3 systems: (1) Pneumococcus Type II polysaccharide and Type II antiserum, with Na euxanthate as inhibitor; (2) partially hydrolysed cherry gum and Type II pneumococcus antiserum, with Na euxanthate as inhibitor; (3) atoxyl-azo-egg albumin and atoxyl-azo-globulin antiserum, with atoxyl as inhibitor. In all 3 systems the inhibition by a given conc. of haptene varied very little over a wide range of antigen/antibody ratios. While the amt. of precipitate depends mainly on the total amts. of antigen and antibody, varying little with dilution, the degree of inhibition depends on the conc. and not the total amt. of haptene. In system 1 there was only partial inhibition even with high concs. of haptene. The conc. of haptene required to give half the maximum effect was about 16 times as great as in system 2. In system 3, the ratio of antibody to azo-protein in the precipitate is lowered by the presence of haptene. There are wide variations in sera from different rabbits in the cone, of haptene required to give the same degree of inhibition. The bearing of these results is discussed on the nature of the action between antigen and antibody.

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