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Elimination of Antigen-Antibody Complexes from Sera of Rabbits^1,2,

From the Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Abstract

Various soluble antigen-antibody complexes have been injected intravenously into rabbits and their rate of elimination followed. When soluble BSA-anti-BSA complexes, prepared in the region of antigen excess, were injected intravenously into rabbits, a portion of these complexes was removed almost immediately, whereas another portion was eliminated at an exponential rate which had a half-life of approximately 2.7 days. A portion of similarly prepared BGG-anti-BGG complexes was eliminated from the circulation at an exponential rate which had a half-life of 1.8 days. In either system the rate of elimination of the complexes was more rapid than that of either antigen or antibody when injected alone. The amount of these complexes which continued to circulate following an injection depended to a large extent on their size which is determined by the amount of excess antigen used in their preparation.

BSA-anti-BSA complexes prepared at equivalence with nonprecipitating antibody were almost completely eliminated from the sera in a few hours, whereas, BSA-(nonprecipitating) anti-BSA complexes prepared with a large amount of excess antigen were eliminated from the circulation at a rate which had a half-life of 2.3 days.

There is some evidence that complement may play a role in the removal of soluble antigen-antibody complexes from the circulation.

Footnotes

¹ Supported by U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Contract No. AT(30-1)-1205.

² Publication No. 140 of the Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

³ Public Health Service Research Fellow of the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Blindness.