A Reaginic Type of Antibody Stimulated by Extracts of Bordetella Pertussis in Inbred Strains of Mice

Strains of mice differed in their ability to produce reaginic type of homocytotropic antibody (72-hr passive cutaneous amaphylaxis (PCA) antibody) after a single injection of hen egg albumin (EA) and alkaline saline extract (SE) from Bordetella pertussis . The inbred strains NBL/n, C57BL/6J and C57BL/10J were superior to the AKR/n, STR/n and the random bred RML strains. Further studies on the 72-hr PCA antibody in NBL/n and C57BL/6J mice have shown that in these strains the majority of the PCA-inducing antibody found in the serum after a single immunization of antigen and SE is of the reaginic type. The hemagglutinating titers correspond closely to the 2-hr PCA titers but not to the 72-hr PCA antibody concentration. Reasonably high titers of reaginic type of antibody were found in ascitic fluid induced by repeated intraperitoneal injections of Freund9s incomplete adjuvant and small doses of EA to mice that had received an initial i.p. dose of SE + EA. The reaginic antibody in whole serum was inactivated by heating at 56°C for 1/2 hr. However, when the serum was diluted in saline, this heating had only little effect on the antibody. The reaginic type of homocytotropic antibody was not found in the 7S or 19S immunoglobulin, and was separated by DEAE cellulose as a distinct entity. It is probably an immunoglobulin similar to IgE of human serum.