Radioimmunoassay for immunoglobulin G autoantibody on the surface of mouse erythrocytes.

A radioimmunoassay (RIA) for the determination of autoantibody on the surface of erythrocytes from New Zealand Black (NZB) mice is described. This method was adapted to hemagglutination plates in order to facilitate the separation of bound and unbound 125I-labeled rabbit anti-mouse immunoglobulin G with an automated cell harvester. Intra- and interday precision, over the useful quantitative range of the standard curve, was 3.9 and 12.9%, respectively. The RIA was five to ten times more sensitive than the direct antiglobulin test which, unlike the RIA, provided little quantitative information on a group of 20 experimental NZB mice. This is publication number 562 from the Department of Basic and Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Medical University of South Carolina.

Lysosomal enzymes in pure pancreatic juice from normal healthy volunteers and chronic alcoholics.

Investigation of pure human pancreatic juice obtained by direct cannulation of the main pancreatic duct of 11 healthy volunteer subjects and 10 chronic alcoholics without detectable pancreatic disease revealed the presence of numerous acid hydrolases in this secretion. The pH optimal and substrate specificities of these enzymes suggest that they are of lysosomal origin. Stimulation of the pancreas by injection of cholecystokinin-pancreozymin (CCK-PZ) (1 Ivy dog unit/kg) resulted in a striking increase in activity of some of these hydrolases (N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, arylsulfatase, etc.) similar to that observed for trypsin, amylase, and other pancreatic digestive enzymes. In a second group of hydrolases (beta-D-glucuronidase, leucine naphthylamidase, etc.) the effect of this hormone was greatly reduced or absent, particularly in normal individuals. In chronic alcoholics enzyme activity in response to CCK-PZ injection was greater than in normal subjects. Although this increase achieved statistical significance (P less than 0.05) in the case of beta-D-glucuronidase only, it was observed for all lysosomal hydrolases tested and suggests either increased synthesis or a more facile release of these enzymes from the pancreas of chronic alcoholics than of normal individuals.