Natural antibodies to human lymphocytes and erythrocytes in the serum of Orcinus orca killer whale.
The existence of naturally occurring heterophile antibodies to antigenic determinants on human blood cell membranes has long been known. It has been shown that the serum of Orcinus orca (Killer whale) does contain similar antibody. Absorption techniques in concert with either microagglutination or complement-dependent microcytotoxicity assays revealed at least three antibody specificities erythrocyte (RBC), B-lymphocyte and T-lymphocyte. Human erythrocyte specificity has been separated from other mammalian RBC specificity, and higher microagglutination titers and/or scores were observed with human group A RBC's than with group B,O, or AB. Tests run at 4 degrees, 20 degrees and 37 degrees C). Higher microcytotoxicity and microagglutination activity was demonstrated with B versus T lymphocytes. It is hoped that the characterization of the antigenic specificity of these heterophile agglutinins will prove to be useful as a biological reagent-tool which may be applied to the identification of a new receptor on human lymphocytes and/or erythrocytes. Also, if isolated, these agglutinins could be useful in the study of the occurrence and presence of specific receptors on cell membranes and give insight as to how these receptors change in health, disease and malignancy.
Gerard
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D
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, New York 14263.
Cohen
E
E
Cunningham
R
R
Fitzpatrick
J E
JE
Godsell
C
C
D000373:Agglutinins / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000910:Antibodies, Heterophile / Q000276:immunology*; D002417:Cattle; D002591:Cetacea / Q000276:immunology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D011817:Rabbits; D014907:Whales / Q000276:immunology*
D000373:Agglutinins; D000910:Antibodies, Heterophile