HETEROPHILE ANTIBODIES IN PATHOLOGIC HUMAN SERA RESEMBLING ANTIBODIES STIMULATED BY FOREIGN SPECIES SERA

  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 25  (1) , 122-132
Abstract
Studies were performed on heterophile antibodies originally described by Hanganutziu and Deicher and referred to as H-D antibodies. These antibodies appear as a result of injections of foreign species sera. They differ from Forssman antibodies by combining with bovine erythrocytes and from Paul-Bunnell antibodies by reacting with guinea-pig kidney. H-D antibodies react in double diffusion gel precipitation tests with crude extract of bovine erythrocyte stromata, purified fraction of this extract devoid of Paul-Bunnell antigen, whole bovine serum and sera of several other species [horse, sheep, rabbit], and thermostable ethanol-insoluble fractions of serum and organs of oxen and several other species [e.g., guinea pig]. These various antigenic preparations usually gave reactions of complete or partial identity with each other. In several instances, 2 or even 3 precipitation lines could be detected. H-D negative human erythrocytes became coated with H-D antigen upon simple incubation with H-D-positive sera. H-D antibodies were also detected in some pathological human sera without any indication that the patients had ever received injections of foreign species sera. Such antibodies were indistinguishable from H-D antibodies engendered by injections of foreign sera.