Skip to main content
The Journal of Cell Biology logoLink to The Journal of Cell Biology
. 1964 Nov 1;23(2):355–361. doi: 10.1083/jcb.23.2.355

STUDIES IN EXPERIMENTAL EOSINOPHILIA

VI. Uptake of Immune Complexes by Eosinophils

Mortimer Litt 1
PMCID: PMC2106518  PMID: 14222819

Abstract

A method is described whereby immune complexes may be visualized in a single cell. Bovine serum albumin labeled with a red-fluorescing dye was joined to a rabbit antiserum labeled with a green-fluorescing dye to yield an immune complex which fluoresced yellow when illuminated by ultraviolet light. Such yellow-fluorescing immune complexes were injected into the peritoneal cavity of guinea pigs, and the peritoneal exudates were examined subsequently. Yellow fluorescent particles were seen in eosinophils obtained from guinea pigs sensitized to hemocyanin and from normal animals. Eosinophils of the blood and of the bone marrow could also take up the complexes in vitro. Neither antigen nor antibody alone was taken up by eosinophils, nor was a mixture of labeled antigen and labeled normal globulin. Similar observations were made with human blood eosinophils. These experiments suggest that eosinophils act as part of the defense against the pathogenic effects of certain immune complexes.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.1 MB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. ARCHER G. T., HIRSCH J. G. MOTION PICTURE STUDIES ON DEGRANULATION OF HORSE EOSINOPHILS DURING PHAGOCYTOSIS. J Exp Med. 1963 Aug 1;118:287–294. doi: 10.1084/jem.118.2.287. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. COCHRANE C. G., WEIGLE W. O., DIXON F. J. The role of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the initiation and cessation of the Arthus vasculitis. J Exp Med. 1959 Sep 1;110:481–494. doi: 10.1084/jem.110.3.481. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. COONS A. H., KAPLAN M. H. Localization of antigen in tissue cells; improvements in a method for the detection of antigen by means of fluorescent antibody. J Exp Med. 1950 Jan 1;91(1):1–13. doi: 10.1084/jem.91.1.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. COONS A. H., LEDUC E. H., CONNOLLY J. M. Studies on antibody production. I. A method for the histochemical demonstration of specific antibody and its application to a study of the hyperimmune rabbit. J Exp Med. 1955 Jul 1;102(1):49–60. doi: 10.1084/jem.102.1.49. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DIXON F. J., VAZQUEZ J. J., WEIGLE W. O., COCHRANE C. G. Pathogenesis of serum sickness. AMA Arch Pathol. 1958 Jan;65(1):18–28. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. LITT M. Studies in experimental eosinophilia. I. Repeated quantitation of peritoneal eosinophilia in guinea pigs by a method of peritoneal lavage. Blood. 1960 Sep;16:1318–1329. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. LITT M. Studies in experimental eosinophilia. III. The induction of peritoneal eosinophilia by the passive transfer of serum antibody. J Immunol. 1961 Nov;87:522–529. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. PATTERSON R., SUSZKO I. M., PRUZANSKY J. J. In vitro uptake of antigen-antibody complexes by phagocytic cells. J Immunol. 1962 Oct;89:471–482. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. RIGGS J. L., SEIWALD R. J., BURCKHALTER J. H., DOWNS C. M., METCALF T. G. Isothiocyanate compounds as fluorescent labeling agents for immune serum. Am J Pathol. 1958 Nov-Dec;34(6):1081–1097. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Cell Biology are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES