RESUMO
According to data by H. Zhabilov serum fractions in the zone of alpha 1, alpha 2 and beta-globulins from healthy people form a characteristic precipitation curve in terms of structure and density with the TNP (thymus nuclear protein) and CNP (carcinoma nuclear protein) as antigens when tested in two-dimensional agarose-gel electrophoresis. The observed immune phenomenon has not so far, to the best of our knowledge, been reported in the scientific literature and has profound implications for fundamental and applied immunology. The object of the present study was to confirm Zhabilov's data and study the ontogenetic aspect of the problem. We used 45 sera of children from different age groups, of healthy adult controls, HIV-infected and cancer patients. The sera were tested against the following exoantigens: TNP (thymus nuclear protein), CNP (carcinoma nuclear protein-Viral Genetics Inc, LA), as well as against ST (staphylococcal toxin), SL (streptolysin) and LPS (lipopolysaccharide) from Gram-negative bacteria (National Center for Parasitic and Infectious Diseases, Sofia, Bulgaria). Two-dimensional electrophoresis was used modified after the protocol of UCLA chemical labs. The results of our study show that immediately following birth the precipitation curve is barely discernible reaching the normal shape following 1 month-5 years of age. The precipitation curve from HIV-infected sera and those of cancer patients is similar to that of newborns. The results from our unpublished observations with sera from other biologic species tested against the same antigens show similar results: no curve was observed in fish whereas the reaction was positive with frogs, birds, rabbits and other mammals. This confirmation of the basic biologic law of ontogenesis being a repetition of phylogenesis gives us reason to consider those fractions as participating in the immune maturation of organisms for acquired immune response. There exists a possibility that they might be part of the already known immunomediators or a stage in the transition from non-specific to specific immunoglobulins which have not lost their importance in immunogenesis. The lack of previous studies in this respect and the observation and confirmation of this reaction in two different labs underscore the importance of this new immune phenomenon.
