The Possibility of Influencing Histocompatibility Antigens by Proteolytic Enzymes

Abstract

Five different proteolytic enzymes were tested, partly in commercial concentrations, against selected lymphocyte samples. By this selected material the increased sensibility of ficin, which has already been proved by other authors, was verified, and by the rest of the enzymes, most of all by papain, higher grades of injury were proved in the cytotoxic test. Defined cell samples allow statements about the specificity of the enzymes. It is referred to the possibility of identifying cross-reacting antigens and antigens which cannot be seized with the standard technique.