Development of a Canine Globulin Concentrate.

Abstract

Under the specified conditions, alcohol fractionation of pooled serum from dogs hyper-immunized against canine distemper virus, infectious canine hepatitis virus, Leptospira canicola Salmonella typhimurium Brucella bronchiseptica. and Streptococcus sp.. precipitates most of the beta and gamma globulins, freeing them from albumins and most other serum proteins. The redissolved precipitate is a concentrated solution of proteins, 80% or more of which are beta and gamma globulins, as determined by electrophoretic analysis. Pure gamma globulin of hyperimmune canine serum contains only about 50% of the total antibodies, whereas all of the antibodies are recovered if both beta and gamma globulin fractions are included. The canine globulin concentrate has all the antibodies of the parent serum, as determined by titrations and animal protection tests. Advantages of this method include elimination of the large amounts of immunologically inert proteins present in multivalent antiserums, reduction in volume of dosage, and possible standardization of antibody content. It is assumed that other antibodies normally occurring in adult canine populations exposed to various infectious agents also may be present in the purified globulin concentrate. Thus, as with human gamma globulin, the concentrated canine globulin might make significant amounts of such common antibodies available in practical dosage for the control of other common infections.