Abstract
Serum containing haemagglutinating activity against benzylpenicillincoated red cells will also agglutinate cells coated with other penicillin compounds, such as methicillin, phenethicillin and ampicillin. However, no activity was noted with 6-amino-penicillanic acid although this does not appear to be due to a failure of adsorption of 6-APA to the cell surface.
Absorption and inhibition studies suggest that certain sera may contain two antibodies, directed against determinant groups in the nuclear and side-chain fractions of the benzylpenicillin molecule respectively. Certain sera also contain a haemolysin for benzylpenicillin-coated cells but those investigated failed to cause haemolysis of methicillin-coated cells. These findings may indicate that haemolysin activity is directed against the side-chain determinant groups of the benzylpenicillin molecules.
Available evidence fails to indicate any connection between allergic sensitization to penicillin and the presence of haemagglutinin in the serum.
Further investigation is required to determine whether haemagglutinating antibody is produced against unaltered benzylpenicillin or against some intermediate or final degradation product with greater affinity for combination with tissue protein than the unaltered molecule.
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Selected References
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