Conditions for the Demonstration of Local Peripheral Antibody Formation and Failure to Show Localization of Antibody by Antigen

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Summary: When similar amounts of the same albumin antigen preparations were injected into the rabbit's cornea, calf or abdominal skin or footpad skin, the highest injected tissue antibody/serum antibody ratios were found following corneal injection, and the lowest ratios following the injection of the footpads. Following the injection of solutions of albumin antigen into the hen's cornea or rabbit's skin, little or no antibody could be demonstrated in these tissues, although the same amounts of alum-precipitated preparations of the same antigens produced good tissue titers. Alumprecipitated whole egg white or whole bovine serum in the rabbit's skin produced significantly higher tissue:serum antibody ratios than did similar amounts of alum-precipitated bovine serum albumin. The highest tissue:serum antibody ratios obtained were produced by small amounts of alum-precipitated whole egg white injected into the rabbit's cornea. Frequently, high tissue titers were obtained when no antibodies could be detected in the serums by the method used. Hyperimmunization by repeated subcutaneous and intramuscular injections of APBSA and APEW into rabbits produced considerable antibody concentrations in the expressed corneal fluids, but the tissue:serum antibody ratios were very much smaller than in rabbits injected intracorneally. When rabbits were given injections of different antigens into the two corneas or into two similar skin sites, the antibody titers in the expressed corneal or skin fluids against the specific antigens injected were invariably higher than against the antigens injected into the other sites. When high titer antiserum was injected intravenously, and homologous and heterologous antigens injected into the two corneas respectively, no evidence of any specific concentration of antibody by the specific antigen injected could be obtained. Splenectomy previous to the intracorneal injection of antigen had no effect on the corneal antibody titers.