Antibodies Reacting with Lipopolysaccharides from Bacteroides melaninogenicus, Bacteroides fragilis, and Fusobacterium nucleatum in Serum from Normal Human Subjects

Abstract

Sera from 54 blood donors and 56 healthy children were examined for antibodies reacting with sheep erythrocytes sensitized with purified lipopolysaccharide from Bacteroides fragilis, Bacteroides melaninogenicus, and Fusobacterium nucleatum. Antibodies were detected in sera from most subjects within all age groups; the titers ranged from 10 to 320. The antibodies were sensitive to reductive cleavage by 2-mercaptoethanol and were specific for lipopolysaccharide from each of the three bacterial species. Antibodies were not found in samples of 10 umbilical cord sera.