Sulfhydryl‐dependent thermal aggregation of human gamma globulin

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Abstract
Hyaluronic acid (4 mg/ml) augmented elevenfold the copper-catalyzed (7 βxM) thermal (63°C, 2 hours) aggregation of human gamma globulin (2 mg/ ml) in 0.075 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.4. Almost no augmentation of aggregation occurred with hyaluron-idase-treated hyaluronate. Hyaluronate-augmented copper-catalyzed thermal aggregation was inhibited by L-histidine, gold thiomalate, N-ethylmaleimide, p-chlo-romercuribenzoic acid, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Together with previous reports of a decreased blood histidine concentration in rheumatoid arthritis, these studies provide a possible explanation for the affinity of this disease for joints.