Organ Specificity of Tissues of the Dog and Man as Shown by Passive Anaphylaxis in Guinea Pigs

Abstract

In previous studies (1, 2) it was shown that prolonged immunization of rabbits with sedimented bacterial vaccines grown in infusion broths prepared from the tissues of different animals, stimulated the production of antibodies not only for the bacteria but also for the broths. It was demonstrated that fatal anaphylaxis usually followed the injection of homologous organ broths into guinea pigs passively sensitized with the antisera of rabbits immunized in this way. Thus, almost complete immunological specificity for broths made from striated muscle and brain was so obtained. It was found that some of the organ-specific substances still remained in infusions of these tissues after they had been autoclaved. The partial destruction or conjugation of the relatively small amounts of blood in the infusions by such treatment, seemed to provide a simple method which gave promise of possible application to various tissues in an effort to demonstrate organ specificity by the elimination of the numerous cross-reactions which are usually obtained in immunological tests with suspensions and extracts of unheated cells.Reviews of the voluminous literature on recent studies of organ specificity carried out by various methods, have been made by Witebsky (3), Landsteiner (4), and others, to which the reader is referred. It should be stated, however, that most of these investigations have been made by means of either the complement-fixation or the precipitin reaction with alcoholic extracts of fresh organs. Sometimes aqueous solutions or suspensions of fresh tissues were used as antigens (5). In a few instances particular protein fractions have been tested. By serological methods, more or less strict organ specificity has been shown for brain (6, 7), testicle (7), kidney (8-10), suprarenal gland (11), placenta (12, 13), epiphysis (14), hypophysis (15), stomach and intestine (16), lens and intestine (17), leucocytes (18), carcinoma and sarcoma (19)(20)(21)(22), and glioma (23). With some organs, the specificity of antisera has been shown in vivo, either directly by the action of cytotoxins, as in the case of the injection of anti-kidney sera for the production of nephritis (24, 25), or indirectly by the effects on metabolism induced by the injection of antisera for thyroid gland and the anterior body of the pituitary gland (26).

Immunological Specificity of Material Sedimentable at High Speed Present in Normal and Tumor Tissues

“…The observations thus far made indicate that the heavy material is complex and that the same material exhibits properties common to different tissues of the same species, to similar tissues of different species, and may also possess specificity characteristic only of one organ of a given species (4,5). Studies on organ and individual specificities of whole tissues or tissue extracts by Witebsky (12) made by complement fixation tests and more recently by Bailey and Raffel using the technique of passive anaphylaxis (13), have yielded similar results. In the light of the investigations of Landsteiner and others on the specificity of immune reactions (14), these cross-reactions and specificities can be attributed in part to similarities and differences in chemical structure.…”

The Wassermann Antigen and Related “Alcohol-Soluble” Antigens

“…Tissue after alcoholic extraction is capable of acting as a conveyor for liver extract, but not for Forssman antigen (probably because of denaturation) (23). Bacteria are able to exercise a conveyor function (31,32); and so does an alcoholic extract from bacteria (33).…”

“…Recent reports (32,42) concerning passive anaphylaxis against a thermostable antigen from brain "associated with myelin and probably derived from it," may require, if this antigen is indeed linked to an antigen of the Wassermann type, some qualification of the generalization just given.…”

“…According to data published since this paper was finished, bacteria can be replaced by kaolin and other adsorbents. Their role seems, therefore, to be merely a physical one(136).…”