Homologous Immunological Studies of Ocular Lens

Abstract

Five lens antigens of rabbits can induce antibodies homologously as evidenced by agar precipitin technics. Cross-reactions of lenses of other species (organ specificity) may be due to similarity of varying numbers of these antigens. Newborn and 26-day embryo rabbit lenses seem to have decreased concentrations of, or lack, one antigen present in adult rabbit lens. Streptolysin "O" concentrates appear to act as an adjuvant for homologous lens immunization in rabbits.

The Cardiac Auto-Immune System

“…rabbit anti-rabbit heart antisera. That the latter, used as the detecting reagent, revealed such a multiplicity of antigens in human heart is somewhat analogous to the situation previously found for lens proteins [21]. There, too, the auto-immune system was quite complex and many of the proteins were apparently restricted to that organ.…”

The Cardiac Auto-Immune System

“…In both, numerous antigens were capable of evoking autoantibodies, and many of these were directed against tissue specific constituents [25]. Analogous antigens were present in other mammalian species in each case, and the auto-antibodies were without appreciable cytotoxic effects on their target cells in tissue culture [30].…”

“…It is worth pointing out the numerous similarities of the cardiac autoimmune system to that investigated earlier in the case of the lens [25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32]. In both, numerous antigens were capable of evoking autoantibodies, and many of these were directed against tissue specific constituents [25].…”

On the Use of Antigenic Relationships among Species for the Study of Molecular Evolution

“…were used for immunization (as described previously [21,22]). Individual variation in the antibody response was encountered, and for this reason, sera from three to six animals were used separately for each experiment.…”