Abstract
IN 1959 Kelus et al.1 were able to demonstrate H-antigen in HeLa cells by means of mixed agglutination using extracts from Ulex europens as anti-H agglutinin. At that time in our laboratory the species-specific antigenicity of cultivated mammalian cells was being investigated by means of a hæmagglutination test which involved guinea pig anti-cell sera and erythrocytes of various species2. The species-specificity of this test was established, partly by excluding blood-group specific reaction. This finding was supported by the work of Högman3, who verified that human cell cultures lose blood group A and B antigens in the early stages of cultivation. Apparently, this does not occur with regard to H-antigen according to the observation of Kelus et al. mentioned here. Yet, H-specific reaction was found not to interfere in species-specific hæmagglutination. This conclusion was reached indirectly by demonstrating species-specific cell hæmagglutinogens and erythrocyte receptors to be proteins in contrast to the carbohydrate nature of blood-group substances4. A more direct examination of this problem was made possible when Bombay blood erythrocytes (lacking H-antigen) and Bombay blood serum (containing anti-H isoagglutinins) became available to us. Various experiments were carried out.
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Kelus, A., Gurner, B. W., and Coombs, R. R. A., Immunol., 2, 262 (1959).
Brand, K. G., and Syverton, J. T., Proc. Amer. Assoc. Cancer Res., 3, 8 (1959). J. Nat. Cancer Inst., 24, 1007 (1960).
Högman, C. F., Exp. Cell Res., 21, 137 (1960).
Brand, K. G., and Syverton, J. T., Fed. Proc., 20, 151 (1961). Brand, K. G., Exp. Cell Res. (in the press).
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BRAND, G., YUNIS, E. & YUNIS, J. H-Antigen in HeLa Cells and H-Antibodies in Anti-HeLa Sera. Nature 200, 362 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1038/200362a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/200362a0
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