[Experimental immunologic study of a protective anthrax preparation]. / Eksperimental'noe immunologicheskoe izuchenie protektivnogo sibireiazvennogo preparata.

Rabbits and sheep immunized with protective anthrax preparation and live anthrax vaccines were examined. Protective anthrax preparation caused changes characteristic of general immunomorphology and immunomorphological reaction of the humoral type. A marked resistance in infection with the virulent anthrax culture was revealed in the animals immunized with this preparation and in those--with live vaccines. Skin allergic reactions were more intensive in sheep immunized with live Ikhtiman's vaccine; there was no reaction in the animals immunized with the protective preparation.

[Indirect hemagglutination via glutaraldehyde-treated erythrocytes for determining anti-anthrax antibodies]. / Indirektna khemaglutinatsiia chrez obraboteni s glutaraldekhid eritrotsiti za opredeliane na protivoantraksni antitela

The so-called passive hemagglutination reaction is used in this country to determine the serum level of anthrax antibodies in immunized individuals. Use is made of an erythrocyte diagnostic means prepared from formalin- and tannin-treated sheep erythrocytes that have been sensibilized with a protective anthrax antigen. An attempt has been made to replace this means by another one obtained by treating the same erythrocytes with glutaric aldehyde. Comparative studies reveal that the new diagnostic means is equally effective in the passive hemaglutination reaction as is the classic method using formalin- and tannin-treated erythrocytes. The suggested method of erythrocyte treatment proves more feasible, and, according to preliminary data, the new diagnostic means has longer shelf-life.

[Use of protective anthrax antigen in agglutination reactions]. / Primenenie protektivnogo sibireiazvennogo antigena v aggliutinatsionnykh reaktsiiakh

The latex- and hemagglutination tests were applied to determination of the titres of anthrax antibodies in the sera of 982 immunized sheep. Monodispersive standard colur latex of polymethylmetacrylate and protective anthrax antigen was used in these tests. On the basis of the results of titration of control sera titres of anthrax antibodies over 1:16 in the latex- and hemagglutination tests were accepted as positive. There was revealed no difference between the sera of the immunized animals reacting positively in both tests (d = 1.87 less than delta = 2.94 at P = 0.95). The difference between the positive titres determined in the latex-agglutination (55.78%) and hemagglutination (44.41%) tests was significant (d = 11.37 less than delta = 4.39 at P = 0.95). Consequently, both tests could be used for the purpose of determination of anthrax antibody titres, but the latex-agglutination test was more sensitive of the two.