The Relation of Circulating Antibody Concentration to Localization of Labeled (S35) Antigen

Abstract

The foregoing experiments show that significant differences in tissue localization of antigen occurred in rabbits when the titer of circulating antibody was greater than 0.1 mg N. The increased uptake of antigen by the lungs of immune animals may be largely attributed to hypersensitive reaction of this tissue whereas the greater localization in the liver represents complexing of antigen with circulating antibody. A method of acid-salt dissociation was found useful in isolating the antigen and antibody from the immune complexes obtained as insoluble material in a perfusate from liver tissue. There was no apparent redistribution of antigen when the usual 6 hour test period for localization was extended to 72 hours.