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Zusammenfassung Im Schweineserum wurden nach einer Infektion mit hochvirulentem Schweinepestvirus zwolf verschiedene γ-Globulin-Komponenten festgestellt. Ihre Isolierung und Charakterisierung erfolgte mittels Kombination von Gelfiltration, Ionenaustauschchromatografie, Agargelelektrophorese und Immuno-elektrophorese. In der elektrophoretischen Beweglichkeit bestand ein fliesender Ubergang im β-γ-Globulingebiet. Die gegen das Schweinepestvirus gebildeten Immunglobuline gehoren den AK-Typen IgM, IgD, IgA und IgG an. Sie alle besitzen neutralisierende Wirksamkeit und auser IgM auch prazipitierende und komplementbindende Eigenschaften. Summary Heterogeneity of serum gamma globulin in the pig after infection with highly virulent swine fever virus After infection with highly virulent swine fever virus, 12 different gamma globulin components were detected in pig serum. They were isolated and characterised by a combination of gel filtration, ion exchange chromatography, agar gel electrophoresis and immuno-electrophoresis. In the case of electrophoretic mobility, there was a zone of continuity in the β-γ-globulin region. The immunoglobulins developed against the swine fever virus belong to the AK types IgM, IgD, IgA and IgG. They possess neutralising ability and all of them except IgM have also precipitating and complement-fixing properties. Resume L'heterogeneite des γ-globulines seriques du porc apres infection par le virus virulent de la peste porcine Apres infection avec le virus fortement virulent de la peste porcine, on met en evidence dans le serum porcin douze fractions differentes de γ-globulines. On procede a leur separation et a leur caracterisation a l'aide d'une combinaison de filtration sur gel, chromatographic a echangeurs d'ions, electrophorese en gelose et immunoelectrophorese. Dans le champ de migration electrophoretique, on trouve des zones continues dans la region des β-γ-globulines. Les immunoglobulines elaborees contre le virus de la peste porcine appartiennent aux type d'anticorps IgM, IgD, IgA et IgG. Toutes possedent une activite neutralisante et, a l'exception de IgM, egalement des proprietes precipitantes et des proprietes de fixation du complement. Resumen La heterogeneidad de las seroglobulinas γ del cerdo tras la infeccion con virus peste porcina muy virulento En el suero sanguineo de cerdos se comprobo tras la infeccion con virus peste porcina muy virulento la presencia de doce componentes globulinicos γ diferentes. Su aislamiento y caracterizacion se efectuo mediante la combinacion de filtracion por gel, cromatografia der intercambio ionico, electroforesis sobre agar e inmunoelectroforesis. En el movimiento elektroforetico existia un pasaje fluente en la region globulinica β-γ. Las inmunoglobulinas formadas contra el virus peste porcina pertenecen a los tipos de anticuerpos IgM, IgD, IgA e IgG. Todas ellas poseen actividad neutralizante y, excepto IgM, tambien propiedades precipitantes y fijadoras del complemento.

Changes in serum gamma globulin levels, numbers of replete female ticks and engorged tick mass were used as parameters to monitor the acquired immune response (antibody mediated immune response) elicited by Rhipicephalus appendiculatus adult tick infestations. Three consecutive Rhipicephalus appendiculatus adult tick infestations were applied to South African Indigenous goats (Nguni), Saanen goats and cross-bred goats (Saanen goats crossed with South African Indigenous goats [Nguni]) under laboratory conditions. During the three consecutive Rhipicephalus appendiculatus adult tick infestations the serum gamma globulin levels increased in all three breeds, whilst the mean replete female tick numbers and engorged tick mass decreased. Even though all three goat breeds exhibited an acquired immune response, the South African Indigenous goats (Nguni) response was significantly higher than that of the Saanen and cross-bred goats. However, the acquired immune response elicited by Saanen goats was significantly lower when compared with cross-bred goats.

Background Nosocomial infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in premature infants. As a rule, their low serum gamma globulin levels at birth subsequently decline to hypogammaglobulinemic values; hence, prophylactic administration of intravenous immune globulin may reduce the rate of hospital-acquired infections. Methods In this prospective, multicenter, two-phase controlled trial, 2416 infants were stratified according to birth weight (501 to 1000 g and 1001 to 1500 g) and randomly assigned to an intravenous immune globulin group (n = 1204) or a control group (n = 1212). Control infants were given placebo infusions during phase 1 of the study (n = 623) but were not given any infusions during phase 2 (n = 589). Infants weighing 501 to 1000 g at birth were given 900 mg of immune globulin per kilogram of body weight, and infants weighing 1001 to 1500 g at birth were given a dose of 700 mg per kilogram. The immune globulin infusions were repeated every 14 days until the infants weighed 1800 g...

Summary1. When serum with abnormally hiqh gamma globulin concentration 1s diluted with a solution containing a certain small amount of copper or zinc sulfate, a turbid precipitate forms and the opt...

After Christian's hypothesis of a physiological regulation of population numbers, we want to analyze serum gamma‐globulin (immunoglobulin) levels in the common vole from populations of different density. A five‐year study was carried out on voles caught in spring, summer (early‐late), and autumn, in alfalfa fields of northern (low population density) and southern (high density) Poland. The lowest concentration of gamma‐globulins occurred in early summer and the highest in late summer and autumn, especially in a year of the highest density of voles. Sexually nonactive females showed the highest level of gamma‐globulin in late summer especially in less dence northern populations. The increase in the gamma‐globulin levels with age was significant in summer and in autumn (South and North) and more rapid in nonactive females than in nonactive males. The parasitism in comparison to gamma‐globulin level showed the negative correlation in summer and the positive one ‐ in autumn, that suggests the mutual ...

Field collections of ticks from two breeds of cattle showed that the common species of ticks were Amblyomma hebraeum, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi. The density of these species was higher on Hereford than on Brahman cattle. The results also indicated that the density of immature stages of the above-mentioned ticks is higher on Hereford than on Brahman cattle. A positive correlation was found between the number of ticks on the cattle and the serum gamma globulin levels, an indication of an increase in the production of antibodies. An inverse relationship was found between tick burden and red blood cell count and hemoglobin concentration. Other blood components, such as basophils, eosinophils and lymphocytes were not affected by the changes in the density of the tick populations. It appears that resistance may have been acquired by the hosts and that Brahman cattle may acquire resistance to a higher degree than Herefords.

Serum gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) levels in blood samples taken from normal calves which bad suckled colostrum were much higher than those found in healthy adult cattle. Levels of over 60 times the normal adult level were observed. These high levels of GGT took approximately 5 weeks to decline to adult values. Calves which appeared to have not received or absorbed colostrum had GGT levels which would be considered normal in adult cattle. A calf with serum gamma globulin levels which indicated an intermediate amount of colostrum absorption had a level of GGT which was intermediate between that expected for normal adult cattle and that found in calves which had more fully absorbed colostrum. The mean GGT level observed in colostrum from 6 newly-calved cows was over 800 times the mean serum GGT level of the same 6 cows. It therefore appears most likely that GGT is concurrently absorbed with colostrum by calves and this gives rise to the very high levels seen in normal calves. Calves with very high levels of serum GGT also had raised levels of alkaline phosphatase (AP) which slowly declined but never reached normal adult levels within the 53-day period of observation. It therefore appears that high levels of both GGT and AP are achieved by calves at the time of colostrum absorption and it is concluded that clinical interpretation of serum GGT and AP levels in young calves is closely dependent upon parallel knowledge of their serum gamma globulin levels.

In the present paper the first 7 cases in Japan of chronic beryllium disease found in workers employed in a ceramic factory utilizing beryllium have been described. Immunological examinations of these cases showed changes similar to those observed in sarcoidosis, that is, negative tuberculin test and increase in serum gamma globulin and immunoglobulins. The fact that a considerable number of workers in the same factories as the patients showed negative tuberculin reaction may suggest that there may be further cases of chronic beryllium disease among them that are still in a latent period.

SUMMARY Serum total protein levels, serum electrophoretic pattern and turbidity readings by the ammonium sulphate reaction (ASR units) were investigated for 266 piglets of 27 litters at 12 to 18 h after birth. Wide variations were found in these values, and a significant correlation (r = 0·966, P

In the serum of lambs at birth most of the circulating alkaline phosphatase, identified by electrophoretic analysis, was of skeletal origin. Suckling was associated with a rapid increase in activity of intestinal alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes in serum. There was a coincidental increase in level of circulating gamma globulin. Activity of the intestinal isoenzymes in serum began to fall between 15 and 21 h after birth and this fall preceded a fall in serum gamma globulin concentration. The electrophoretic characteristics of the intestinal isoenzymes in serum changed as activity of these isoenzymes increased and then decreased.

Summary Serum gamma globulin (Gm) groups were determined for 262 Japanese. The resulting allele frequency estimate for Gma was 0–885 and for Gmb 0–115. Some reservation is necessary in accepting these estimates at face value because of failure to observe any Gm(a - b +) individual. There was no significant difference in the Gma and Gmb frequencies between normal Japanese subjects and Japanese with rheumatoid arthritis. An attempt was made to detect new Gm factors in the American population by the use of sera from Japanese rheumatoid arthritis. The attempt was based on the assumptions that effective typing sera from rheumatoid arthritics must lack the Gm factor sought, that such typing sera must be very rare in populations where the Gm factor in question is common, and that ethnic differences in Gm allele frequencies extend to undetected alleles. The attempt failed; however, the method of approach may be of value to future investigators. We wish to offer our thanks for the provision of sera from American-born Japanese children to Dr Stanley Wright, University of California at Los Angeles, School of Medicine. This investigation was supported in part by Grant no. B2053 from the National Heart Institute, the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.

SummarySerum gamma globulin levels of young NZW and NZB-NZC mice were found to be similar to those of 4 control inbred strains. Serum gamma globulin levels of young NZC and NZB-NZW mice were somewhat higher than those of the controls, whereas the levels were significantly higher in young NZB mice. In all strains studied the gamma and beta globulin levels were significantly higher at 16 to 19 months than at 3 or 9 months.We wish to thank Mrs. Susan Vanek and Miss Mary Ellen Wilsterman for technical assistance.

In 17 young women suffering from hirsutism, the pattern of serum proteins was studied by paper electrophoresis. Weekly determinations were also made of urinary 17-ketosteroids and 17-hydroxycorticosteroids. There was no correlation between increments in the level of serum gamma globulin and changes in the urinary excretion of 17-hydroxycorticosteroids. In 9 of the 10 patients in whom the level of serum gamma globulin level was elevated there was also an intermittent elevation in the excretion of urinary 17-ketosteroids. This seems to indicate that hypergammaglobulinemia in hirsutism is caused by an excess of xendogenous androgen.

Herpetic infection of the eye constitutes one of the commoner and less responsive therapeutic problems faced by the ophthalmologist. The incidence and clinical features of this disease were catalogued by Gundersen 1 in his classic paper published more than 20 years ago. Thygeson, Kimura, and Hogan 2 have reviewed recent developments and have set forth the current status of the problem of herpes oculi. From these studies, it appears that herpes corneae may actually be increasing in frequency, that its complications are increasing in severity (partly as a result of injudicious treatment with corticosteroids), and that no specific chemotherapy exists for this disease. The ecology of herpes simplex virus in human beings has been elucidated by Burnet 3 and has been reviewed by Blank and Rake. 4 Antibody surveys of various populations have shown a neutralization of herpes simplex by the sera of high percentages of persons. Uniformity of antiherpes

SummaryAdministration of 6-mercaptopurine and 6-thioguanine decreased serum gamma globulin concentrations in rabbits and produced an increase in concentration of a β2 protein as measured by agar and paper electrophoresis. Immunoelectrophoretic studies confirmed the increase in the β2 globulin and allowed detection of a “γx” precipitin line which was masked by the gamma globulin precipitin line prior to treatment.

SummarySera from patients with myasthenia gravis (36 out of a total of 90) showed reactivity with epithelial cells in the thymus by means of the immunofluorescence technique. This antibody was cros...

Summary 1.Barium sulphate suspensions employed as standards in the zinc turbidimetric estimation of gamma globulin are not uniform. The turbidity is not determined solely by the concentrations and the volumes of the reagents employed. 2.2. Among the factors influencing the resulting turbidity are: a)The order in which the reagents are added to each other. b)The temperature of the reagents at the time of mixing. c)The temperature at which the suspensions are stored, and, d)The time elapsing between the mixing and the readings for the determination of the turbidity. 3.For the preparation of a standard suspension which will permit the reproduction of Kunkel's original results it is advisable to introduce the barium chloride solution into a dry volumetric flask, add rapidly the required amount of sulphuric acid previously chilled to 10 degrees (C) and to store the suspensions at 10 degrees until the turbidity is read on the 4th day (approximately 72 hours after mixing). 4.Even with these precautions, the variability in the resulting suspensions is sufficient to demand that a minimum of three suspensions be prepared and their turbidities averaged for the establishment of a reliable standard.

SummaryNeutralizing antibody content of 7 lots of human serum gamma globulin against the 3 immunologic types of poliomyelitis viruses were studied in roller tube cultures of monkey kidney tissue. Antibody against the 3 immunologic types of viruses was found to be present in all lots tested. The average of 50% neutralization end points in tests of the individual lots of gamma globulin for type 1 virus was 10-3.0, for Type 2 virus 10-2.7, and for Type 3 virus 10-2.5.

SummaryAdministration of 0.1 USP U ACTH to 9-day-old rats followed by similar treatments twice daily through Day 24 produced elevated serum corticosterone levels compared with saline-injected control values 1 hr after the last injection at 15, 18, 21, and 24 days of age. The concentration of serum gamma globulin was significantly lower in the ACTH-treated rats than in saline controls at 15, 18, 21, and 24 days postpartum, possibly due to premature termination of intestinal absorption of gamma globulin in the ACTH-treated group. The serum gamma globulin concentration increased in control rats between days 9 and 18, then declined between Days 21 and 24, while in the ACTH-treated rats, the level did not increase significantly between Days 9 and 15, and fell between 15 and 21 days of age. This experiment indicates that elevated concentrations of corticosterone, the primary glucocorticoid in rats, reduce the serum gamma globulin level during the neonatal period.

THE term, hyperglobulinemic purpura, was used by Waldenstrom1 , 2 in 1943 to describe a syndrome consisting of benign recurrent nonthrombocytopenic purpura, high sedimentation rate and unexplained increase in serum gamma globulin. By the end of 1953, 13 cases had been reported, 12 from Europe and 1 from the United States. These cases were summarized recently by Taylor and Battle.3 Since 1953 occasional new cases have been presented by authors in Europe.4 , 5 This report describes what appears to be the second case of hyperglobulinemic purpura in the United States. Case Report Mrs. B. L. was first seen by us in June, 1955, . . .

The influence of age and diet on the invasion of septicemia-inducing Escherichia coli and the endocytotic activity of the small intestinal epithelium were examined in colostrum-deprived conventional and gnotobiotic piglets orally infected with E. coli 078. The piglets infected at birth and the animals fed glucose-amino acids solution and infected at 3 days after birth soon suffered from septicemia caused by the invasion of E. coli 378. The piglets fed artifical milk and infected at 3 days after birth, however, showed resistance to the invasion of E. coli in the absence of passively acquired serum gamma globulin. The endocytotic activity of the small intestinal epithelium was more intense in the former than in the latter piglets. Some of the ileal epithelial cells of the piglets infected at birth contained organisms, although these cells were morphologically intact and showed intense endocytosis. The present results suggest that the intestinal permeability to macromolecules, which depends on the endocytotic activity of the small intestinal epithelium, might predispose neonatal piglets to colisepticemia.

A STRIKING increase in the detection of patients with monoclonal gammopathy and multiple myeloma was found when further investigation of hospital patients with elevated plasma globulin levels was performed. 5.9% of patients with plasma globulin concentrations of 4 g/dl or more were found to have monoclonal gammopathy compared to 1.8% of all patients. A 76% incidence of multiple myeloma was found in those patients whose monoclonal gammopathy was associated with a serum gamma globulin concentration of 4 g/dl or greater. We recommend that patients with elevated globulin levels should be further investigated to exclude the presence of a gammopathy or myeloma.

SUMMARY Sixty sows and gilts were randomized among three treatments according to breed and parity to determine whether removal of piglets from the dam at birth and simultaneous return would alter piglet serum gamma globulin concentration and reduce piglet mortality at 21 days of age. Neostigmine was also studied to determine whether it was effective in reducing farrowing interval. Treatments consisted of natural farrow- ing and nursing, piglet removal at birth and simultaneous return to the dam and piglet removal plus an injection of 5 mg of neostig- mine methysulfate after birth of the fifth p'iglet. Serum was collected from each piglet at approxi- mately 12 hr of age and assayed for gamma globulin by single radial immunodiffusion. Piglets that survived to 21 days of age had a higher (P .05) farrowing interval or number of stillbirths. Piglet removal did not affect (P>.05) mean litter gamma globulin concentration or number of piglets surviving to 21 days of age. (Key Words: Colostrum, Gamma Globulin, Piglet Survival, Neostigmine.)

Serum gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels in blood samples taken from normal lambs which had suckled colostrum were found to be up to 140 times normal adult levels. These high serum levels declined rapidly reaching a stable level approximately 60% higher than normal adult values by 24 days of age. Newborn lambs which had not yet consumed colostrum had GGT levels which would be considered normal in adult sheep. The GGT concentration in ewes' colostrum was up to 470 times normal serum levels. There was a significant positive correlation between serum GGT and gamma globulin levels in blood samples taken from lambs within 24 hours of birth. Lambs' serum alkaline phosphatase (AP) and serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT) levels also rose concurrently with the absorption of colostral gamma globulin, with the day 1 AP values being significantly correlated with the serum gamma globulin levels. Serum AP levels declined gradually but were still well above normal adult levels at 45 days of age while SGOT levels returned to normal adult levels by two to three days after birth. It is concluded therefore that, as previously shown in calves, lambs acquire high levels of serum GGT activity from their mothers' colostrum in proportion to the amount of gamma globulin absorbed and also show a concurrent rise in serum AP activity. However the rise in SGOT levels at this time has not been observed in calves.

Pigs with hereditary lymphosarcoma were found to show an increase in serum gamma globulin levels from 0.24 to 2.04 g/dl during a period from the 10 th to the 24 th week of life. Compared to normal litter mates this increase was significant ( P P All cases in the later stages of the disease had an IgG heavy chain (γFc) and light chain (γL) component in their serum and urine. This component could not be found in the serum or urine of normal litter mates, but could be extracted from mesenteric lymph nodes of normal pigs and lymphosarcoma cases. The molecular size of the main component in serum and urine was approximately 50 to 60 × 10 3 . Other tumour cell products similar to foetal albumin, alpha 2 and beta globulin were also present in the serum of lymphosarcoma cases. With the exception of trace amounts of albumin foetal proteins were not present in the serum of normal litter mates.

The changes with age in serum protein concentrations of 29 normal pigs from 3 litters were estimated. Adult serum protein concentrations were reached by 21–24 weeks of age. Significant litter to litter dif-. ferences in protein concentrations were found in the various age groups. Serum protein concentrations were determined in 327 pigs at 2 days and 3 weeks of age with and without E. coli associated diarrhoea. The gamma globulin concentrations were normally distributed in the 2-day-old pigs and there was no apparent correlation between serum gamma globulin concentrations and incidence of E. coli associated diarrhoea.

Nicol and Snell1 showed that cortisone depresses the phagocytic activity of the reticulo-endothelial system during the first two weeks of treatment, and that if the cortisone injections are continued the reticulo-endothelial system apparently recovers during the third and fourth weeks. Nicol and Bilbey2 reported that cortisone also produces changes in the blood. They showed that when 10 mgm. of cortisone is given daily intramuscularly for one or two weeks, the total leucocyte count falls, due to reduction in the number of lymphocytes and polymorphs; but if the cortisone is continued for three or four weeks the total leucocyte count returns to normal, due to increase in the number of polymorphs, although the lymphocyte count remains low.

The serum gamma globulin (Gm) serological system was examined in 24 chimpanzees. Five Gm a, Gm b, and Gm x phenotypes, including Gm (a—b—x—), were observed. Phenotype did not appear to be related to serum gamma globulin concentration. The presence of the Gm system in apes suggests that this polymorphism in man is balanced and ancient.

AS the initial event in L.E.-cell formation an abnormal serum gamma globulin (the L.E.-cell factor) reacts with leukocyte nuclei, causing them to swell, to lose their lobulation and chromatin pattern and thus to become amorphous, homogeneous globules (Fig. 1). Secondarily, these globular bodies of altered nuclear material may be phagocytized by intact leukocytes to form typical L.E. cells (Fig. 1). Nonphagocytized nuclear bodies (hereafter designated extracellular material, or ECM), histologically identical to the L.E.-cell inclusion, are found in the absence of L.E. cells, as well as in positive L.E.-cell preparations. Although great diagnostic importance has been attached to the finding . . .

Although a diminution of serum gamma globulin or even its total absence electrophoretically not infrequently follows an infection in early childhood, it is much less common in adults. A persistent diminution or absence of serum gamma globulin as the cause of multiple infections is a concept that was introduced by Bruton 1 in 1952. The syndrome in adults seems to be very rare. Moncke, 2 using paper electrophoresis, found only one case of complete agammaglobulinemia, in a male aged 16, among 6,000 adults and adolescents above the age of 15. Because of the rarity of the condition, the following case in an adult is reported. A 53-year-old female was admitted to the Lenox Hill Hospital on Oct. 28, 1954, with a pneumonitis of both lower lobes. This was her ninth hospital admission. The patient had been well until January, 1949, when she was operated upon for internal hemorrhoids and a

Seventeen of 24 sera from children who had received multiple transfusions contained agglutinating antibodies against a Gm factor absent in the individual's serum gamma globulin. Each of these agglutinators was highly specific for a single Gm factor, and all proved useful as reagents for genetic typing. The accumulated evidence indicates that they resulted from genetically foreign gamma globulin introduced by transfusion.

Twenty-four out of 25 patients with Chagas' heart disease have circulating immunoglobulins which react by indirect immunofluorescence technique with endocardium, interstitium and blood vessels of the heart. With skeletal muscle the reaction was observed in interstitium and vascular structures, but with other organs it was limited to vascular structures. This endocardial-vascular-interstitial factor (EVI) fixed complement. Some evidence indicated that this reaction could be obtained using the serum and tissues from the same patient: for instance, in one positive case a right atrium biopsy was performed. When this substrate was used for indirect immunofluorescence, employing the patient's own serum, positive results were obtained. Specificity is not related to AB blood group systems, or to Forssman or Wassermann antigens. The reacting factor was effectively absorbed from sera with organ homogenates, and with guinea pig red blood cells although it was independent of heterophil antibodies. In almost all cases studied, the EVI factor of the serum, when absorbed with epimastigotes of T. cruzi , results in a negative reaction, suggesting that the genesis of the reacting gamma globulin is related to antigens of T. cruzi. The EVI factor was also observed in 19 of 47 asymptomatic controls from an endemic area with positive serology for T. cruzi and in 3 of 27 with negative serology. These 3 cases had anti- T. cruzi antibodies in titers just below those considered of clinical value. The EVI factor was not observed in 119 normal individuals and 286 patients with selected cardiovascular diseases or another pathology from a nonendemic area. These findings and those mentioned above were statistically significant ( P < 0.001). These results indicate the possibility of a more accurate diagnosis of chagasic myocardiopathy based on the study of the EVI factor, because in an individual case the diagnosis of chronic chagasic cardiopathy can be considered with a low probability in the absence of this factor.

Very little is known about immunity in relation to malignant disease. In animals there is evidence that resistance develops to transplanted tumours. Lumsden1 and his co-workers were of the opinion that this resistance was due to the appearance in the serum of certain antibodies. They found that the serum of rats bearing the Jensen rat sarcoma contains a cytotoxin which is greatest in amount in those rats in which tumour regression afterwards occurs. In the human subject the development of humoral resistance to malignant tumours has not been proved conclusively. A number of workers have investigated the serum gamma-globulin-level in patients with malignant disease. Their results can be taken as a measure of the antibody-level since most antibodies are found in association with the gamma-globulin fraction of the serum protein. Petermann and Hogness2 found that the serum gamma-globulin-level, as estimated by electrophoresis at pH. 8.6, was normal in twenty-five patients with carcinoma of the stomach. Miller and Erf3, using a similar method, found that the serum gamma-globulin was raised in twenty-four patients with carcinoma of the gastro-intestinal tract or breast.

Rabbit serum γ-globulin was submitted to paper electrophoresis in two different buffers of pH 8.6 and 4.5, and of ionic strength 0.15 and 0.04, respectively. Only one spot was detected for the γ-globulin of normal animals, but the γ-globulin of animals treated for many months with guinea pig erythrocytes was separated into 3–4 subfractions. The specific antibody was present only in the most rapidly migrating subfraction and was completely absent in the others.

A considerable body of evidence exists suggesting a heightened and/or dysfunctional immunological status with advancing age in vertebrates (Walford, 1962, 1964). There is an impressive increase in serum gamma globulin with age in all animals thus far studied, including humans, rats, gerbils, and bulls (Riegle & Neller, 1964). The percentage change in gamma globulin is relatively greater than the changes in most other biochemical parameters of aging, particularly if one omits values for very young animals. A relative increase in the ratio of splenic weight to body weight occurs with age in most animals. This increase is accompanied by a decrease in mitotic activity of splenic cells, but the decrease is considerably less than corresponding decreases in mitotic activity in other organs that contain dividing cell populations.

Excerpt The anomaly called agammaglobulinemia has become a fairly well known clinical entity, although prior to Bruton's report1in 1952 it had never been described. The subject of his study was an ...

SummaryData have been presented which show that porcine gamma globulin, porcine and bovine serum solids and cowscolostrum do not cause a marked or consistent response in the serum gamma globulin level of one-day-old pigs when administered orally. However, parenteral administration of porcine gamma globulin gave a response which approached that obtained with nursing pigs. The inclusion of trypsin inhibitor with orally administered porcine gamma globulin and bovine serum solids did not affect the serum gamma globulin level.

SummaryFifty-one compounds were studied for their ability to compete with the sulfhydryl group for cupric ions. The sulfhydryl-disulfide interchange reactions occurring during the reaction between cysteine and bis (p-nitrophenyl) disulfide and during the course of the denaturation of human serum gamma globulin by heat were used as models for this reaction. Hydralazine, a compound which has been reported to induce a disease resembling systemic lupus erythematosus was exceptionally active in reactivating the sulfhydryl-disulfide interchange reaction when this reaction was studied in the presence of cupric ion.

THE reticulo-endothelial system plays a predominant part in the defence of the body against infection. We have previously shown that stimulation of the reticulo-endothelial system leads to raised body defence (indicated by increased phagocytic activity, accelerated antibody production, raised serum gamma globulin and increased protection of experimental animals against virulent infections), and that the strongest reticulo-endothelial stimulants are the oestrogens1,2. We have also shown that the action of oestrogen on the reticulo-endothelial system is independent of its action on the reproductive tract, although these two biological activities are contained in the same molecule3. We have also demonstrated that cyclical variations in reticulo-endothelial activity occur during the oestrous cycle and during pregnancy in the rat and the mouse1. These findings suggest that when protection against infection is required, general and local body defence is increased by raised blood oestrogen levels. We also found that reticulo-endothelial activity falls after ovariectomy in the mouse4. These results suggest that oestrogen, especially 17β-oestradiol, is the principal natural stimulant of body defence in both the male and the female—the latter having raised oestrogen levels when protection against infection is normally most needed.