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. 1924 May 20;6(5):603–613. doi: 10.1085/jgp.6.5.603

THE AGGLUTINATION OF RED BLOOD CELLS

John H Northrop 1, Jules Freund 1
PMCID: PMC2140669  PMID: 19872099

Abstract

1. Unsensitized sheep cells suspended in sugar solutions are agglutinated by electrolytes whenever the potential is depressed to 6 millivolts or less, except in the case of MgCl2 or CaCl2. 2. With these salts no agglutination occurs although there is practically no potential. The presence of these salts prevents acid agglutination. This is presumably due to a decrease in the "cohesion" between the cells. 3. Cells which have been sensitized with specific antibody, ricin, colloidal stannic hydroxide, or paraffin oil, are agglutinated whenever the potential is decreased below about 12 millivolts. 4. The agglutination by electrolytes is therefore primarily due to a decrease in the potential whereas agglutination by immune serum, ricin, etc., is due primarily to an increase in the critical potential.

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Selected References

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

  1. Mines G. R. The action of tri-valent ions on living cells and on colloidal systems: II. Simple and complex kations. J Physiol. 1911 May 22;42(4):309–331. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1911.sp001437. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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