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Immuno-electrophoretic Demonstration of Precipitating Components in Sera from Pregnant Women

Nature volume 187, pages 332–333 (1960)Cite this article

Abstract

Smithies1 and also Thornes2 recently described the occurrence of certain serum proteins in sera from pregnant or recently pregnant women. According to Smithies1, an α2-globulin is present in sera from about 10 per cent of women in late pregnancy or shortly after delivery, and is demonstrable by means of starch-gel electrophoresis. Thornes2, by means of geldiffusion experiments, demonstrated serologically specific components in pregnancy sera by absorbing the immune serum prepared in rabbits with normal human serum. In each of 29 sera collected from patients during the last three months of pregnancy, he found this serologically distinct component. Immunization of rabbits with placental extracts made possible the demonstration of one to four different antigens serologically different from the serum proteins of normal sera, two of which were also found in sera from patients with abnormal tissue metabolism.

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References

  1. Smithies, O., “Adv. Protein Chem.”, 14, 65 (1959).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Thornes, D. R., thesis, University of Dublin (1958).

  3. Hirschfeld, J., Acta Path. et Microbiol. Scand. (in the press).

  4. Hirschfeld, J., Nature (in the press).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bacteriology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 60

    JAN HIRSCHFELD

  2. Nobel Institute for Neurophysiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 60

    ULF SÖDERBERG

  3. State Institute for Blood Group Serology, Stockholm, 60

    JAN HIRSCHFELD

  4. State Bacteriological Laboratory, Stockholm

    JAN HIRSCHFELD

Authors
  1. JAN HIRSCHFELD
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  2. ULF SÖDERBERG
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HIRSCHFELD, J., SÖDERBERG, U. Immuno-electrophoretic Demonstration of Precipitating Components in Sera from Pregnant Women. Nature 187, 332–333 (1960). https://doi.org/10.1038/187332a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/187332a0

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