title: Heterogeneity of human anti-pig natural antibodies cross-reactive with the Gal(alpha1,3)Galactose epitope.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The cell surface carbohydrate moiety, Gal(alpha1,3)Galactose (alphaGal), has been implicated as the major determinant recognized by more than 80% of human anti-porcine natural antibodies (NAb). An ELISA system was developed for the detection of this subpopulation of porcine cell-reactive NAb using synthetic alphaGal conjugated to bovine serum albumin.
  
  
  METHODS
  A screen of 95 human serum samples by this method demonstrated marked variability in the alphaGal reactivity of unrelated donors. The percentage of alphaGal-reactive NAb relative to total immunoglobulin was determined for 10 donors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  alphaGal-reactive NAb comprised 1.0-2.4% of total serum IgG, whereas the range was from 3.9% to 8.0% for IgM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The higher level of alphaGal-reactive IgM suggests that xenoreactive NAbs may be the product of germ-line genes. Two-dimensional gel analysis of affinity-purified alphaGal-reactive NAb from two donors provided evidence suggesting that IgM from this subpopulation of NAb were restricted in protein charge heterogeneity.
authors.affiliation: Transplantation Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston 02129, USA.
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: McMorrow
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Comrack
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Sachs
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: DerSimonian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000235:genetics*; D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004187:Disaccharides / Q000276:immunology*; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes / Q000235:genetics; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D018740:Genetic Heterogeneity; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D004187:Disaccharides; D000939:Epitopes; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; C055075:galactosyl-(1-3)galactose