Monoclonal antibodies to a tumour-associated antigen isolated from circulating immune complexes of bovine leukemia virus-infected cattle.

From circulating immune complexes (ICs) of BLV-infected cattle, an antigen preparation was produced that contained some virus-specific proteins and a tumour-associated antigen. Eleven hybridoma clones were produced that secreted monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) to this tumour-associated antigen, and two of them, MoAbs 1B4 and 1E9, were used in further studies. Most antibodies were of IgG1 subclass and showed no cytotoxic activity towards lymphocytes of BLV-positive cattle or to certain tumour cells. The MoAbs 1B4 and 1E9 recognized an antigen of about 75 kD on the cell surface of bovine lymphosarcoma cells and circulating lymphocytes from BLV-infected cattle with persistent lymphocytosis. The results presented indicate that the circulating immune complexes from BLV-positive cattle contain a tumour-associated antigen that is expressed on tumour cells and on lymphocytes from cattle with persistent lymphocytosis.

Antigen-antibody complexes in experimental infection with Trichinella spiralis and their role in the development of kidney lesions.

The kidneys of rats, experimentally infected with Trichinella spiralis were studied by means of light and fluorescent microscopy. The results obtained suggest that this is a case of a proliferative intra- and extracapillary nephritis. Highest intensity of the pathological process was noted between the 30th and 50th day of the infection. The immunofluorescent reaction of kidney glomeruli demonstrated that the immune complexes were located predominantly in the basal membrane and the mesangium. The serological investigation showed that the maximum level of circulating immune complexes existed between 14th and 21st day after the infection.

Antigammaglobulin antibodies in experimental adjuvant arthritis.

Several-fold administration of complete Freund's adjuvant in rat provoked acute arthritis accompanied by production of antigammaglobulin antibodies in a high percentage from the animals studied; their sera precipitate homologous and heterologous aggregated IgG and demonstrate hemagglutination titers up to 1 : 1792. To confirm the Ig type of the studied antibodies, rat sera were fractionated by gel filtration on Sephadex G200 by pH = 4.0 and by preparative ultra-centrifugation by pH = 3.6. It was established that the antibodies are of IgM type. - The presence of autoantibodies in an autoimmune disease, such as experimental adjuvant arthritis similar to the rheumatoid factors in human rheumatoid arthritis gives support to the statement that autoimmune processes are involved in the etiology of rheumatoid arthritis in men.

[Serum antigammaglobulin antibodies in patients with cancer of the uterine cervix (author's transl)]. / Serum Antigammaglobulin-Antikörper bei Patienten mit Carcinoma colli uteri.

Agar immunoprecipitation with homologous and heterologous IgG aggregates and hemagglutination with sensitized sheep red blood cells showed that high percentage of patients with cancer of the uterine cervix have antigammaglobulin antibodies in their blood serum. In order to confirm the Ig type of the studied antibodies, sera of cancer patients were fractionated by gel filtration on Sephadex G200 by pH = 4.0. The positive hemagglutination and precipitation activities of the first gel filtration peaks (comprising the 19 S macroglobulin) as the lack of such activity after treatment with 2-mercaptoethanol confirmed the antibodies to be of IgM type.