MATERNAL-FOETAL TRANSFER OF HUMAN IMMUNE GLOBULINS AND FRAGMENTS IN RABBITS

Abstract

Studies of the ability of human 7S and 19S [gamma] -globulins and some of their structural units to pass from the maternal to the fetal circulation in the rabbit have demonstrated that 7S [gamma], X9S[gamma], the "8S" units of the 19S [gamma] -globulin and the artificially and naturally occurring F(B) fragments enter the fetal circulation readily. On the other hand, the slow (AC) papain fragment and Bence Jones proteins enter the fetal circulation poorly or not at all. It would appear that some structure associated with the "H chain" and found in the F(B) fragment of 7S [gamma] -globulin is essential for the active process involved in the transfer of proteins across the rabbit splanchnopleure.