Hemagglutination by Tularemia Antisera: Further Observations on Agglutination of Polysaccharide-Treated Erythrocytes and Its Inhibition by Polysaccharide

[摘要] Study of the reaction of human erythrocytes with tularemia polysaccharide under various conditions indicated that optimum sensitization to agglutination by tularemia antisera occurred when 5% erythrocyte suspensions were incubated 4 hours at 37 C with 0.0025% polysaccharide and then washed 4 times with saline. Erythrocytes of human types O, A, and B, monkey, rabbit, mouse, guinea pig, sheep, and chicken were sensitized under these conditions, and were agglutinated by anti-tularensis antisera from man, goat, horse, rabbit and rat. In the presence of complement, only sheep erythrocytes were lysed by the antisera. The agglutination was inhibited by minute amounts of free polysaccharide; under appropriate conditions 2 milligamma or less produced complete inhibition of agglutination. Reaction with polysaccharide did not appear to alter certain of the antigens or other receptors of the erythrocyte, nor did treatment with receptor-destroying enzyme, potassium periodate, or pancreatic lipase interfere with subsequent sensitization with polysaccharide. The sensitizing and inhibiting activities of the polysaccharide were found to be reasonably stable to heat in the region of neutrality, but to be destroyed by treatment at 100 C in acid or alkaline solution.

[学科分类] 生物科学（综合）