The Reaction of the White Blood Cells to Specific Precipitates

[摘要] When fresh normal citrated blood is mixed with a protein and its specific antibody, the polymorphonuclears, lymphocytes and mononuclears become strikingly vacuolated. This vacuolation is definitely associated with the product of the antigen-antibody reaction since ( a ) it does not occur if the precipitate is removed before the whole blood is added, and ( b ) the reaction does occur when the whole blood is added to the thoroughly washed precipitate suspension.Non-specific particulate matter, as heat-coagulated protein, collodion particles and charcoal particles, does not stimulate the reaction.Phagocytosis of sensitized B. typhosus and pneumococcus by the same types of cells has been observed with marked vacuolation of the polymorphonuclears and mononuclears. The vacuolation appears more slowly than with the specific precipitate and seems not to occur in the lymphocytes at all.It is considered that the specific precipitate is probably phagocyted and that the vacuoles are associated in some manner with its subsequent digestion.These observations are significant in pointing out the probable importance of phagocytosis in determining the fate of the specific precipitate in vivo .

[学科分类] 生物科学（综合）