Normal Human Stromata as Antigens for Complement Fixation in the Sera of Patients with Relapsing Vivax Malaria

Abstract

Malarial sera that react with antigen from normal chicken stromata also fix complement more strongly with normal human stromata. Many malarial sera which fail to react either with Plasmodium gallinaceum, antigen or normal chicken stromata fix complement strongly with normal human antigen. This reaction is reasonably disease-specific for malaria, since in 32 normal and 81 pathol. sera only 4 probable false positives were found among the latter. In chronically relapsing vivax patients the normal human stromata are about as sensitive an indicator as the more difficultly accessible gallinaceum antigens. Directions are given to prepare the normal human stromata antigen.