Agglutination in Rheumatoid Arthritis Serum of Sheep Cells Sensitized with Hemolysin and Infectious Mononucleosis Agglutinins

Abstract

The reported failure of the sheep cell agglutination in infectious mononucleosis to be enhanced by rheumatoid arthritis serum has been confirmed. The nonreactivity of infectious mononucleosis agglutinins with rheumatoid factor was further demonstrated by the fact that sheep cells sensitized with the infectious mononucleosis antibody did not absorb rheumatoid factor. Precipitation of the agglutinins with sodium and ammonium sulfate and heating at 63°C did not alter their behavior in rheumatoid arthritis serum. Most rheumatoid arthritis sera did not enhance the agglutination of sheep cells by the serum of a guinea pig immunized with boiled beef cells. One rheumatoid serum, however, was strongly reactive in this respect. In anion exchange cellulose (DEAE) chromatography of infectious mononucleosis serum the sheep cell agglutinins were found in fractions eluted with 0.10–0.15 M phosphate. Similar fractionation of rabbit antisheep cell serum revealed the major portion of the agglutinins in fractions eluted with 0.01 M phosphate. Some agglutinating activity was found, however, in fractions eluted with higher phosphate molarity. These latter agglutinins resembled those of infectious mononucleosis in that their activity was not enhanced by rheumatoid arthritis serum.