Differences BetweenBrucellaAntigens Involved in Indirect Hemagglutination Tests with Normal and Tanned Red Blood Cells

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Abstract
Brucellaantigens capable of sensitizing normal and tanned sheep red blood cells for indirect hemagglutination were compared with antigens involved in agglutination, gel diffusion, and immunoelectrophoresis. Hyperimmune rabbit sera, before and after absorption with various antigenic preparations from smooth and roughB. abortus, were used in the tests. Normal erythrocytes could be sensitized with an NaOH-treated ether-water extract (EW-T) of smoothBrucella. Tanned erythrocytes could be sensitized with a water-soluble extract from ultrasonically disrupted smooth or roughBrucella. The EW-T produced a single precipitation band and the water-soluble antigens produce 6 to 23 bands in immunoelectrophoresis with unabsorbed sera. After absorption of antisera with water-soluble extracts from smooth or roughBrucellacells or from smooth or rough cell walls, the hemagglutinins for sensitized tanned erythrocytes and the precipitins for water-soluble antigens were removed. Absorption with living smooth or roughBrucellacells or with EW-T did not remove these antibodies. The precipitins and hemagglutinins for the antigen EW-T, and agglutinins for smooth cells, were absorbed by smooth antigens but not by rough antigens. It appears that the antigens which sensitize tanned erythrocytes and diffuse through agar gels are present in both smooth and rough forms and may be situated in the cytoplasm or in the internal part of the cell wall, whereas the agglutinogen and the antigen which attaches to normal erythrocytes are surface antigens found only on the smoothBrucellacell.