Origin of Anti-human Blood Group B Agglutinins in White Leghorn Chicks

While anti-human blood group B agglutinins are present in the majority of ordinary White Leghorn chicks by the age of 30 days, none could be demonstrated in germfree chicks up to the age of 60 days. Anti-B agglutinins in trace amounts were first found in germfree chicks 66 days old and increased to an average titer of about 1:2 by 91 days of age. This titer amounts to about 10 per cent of that found in ordinary chicks. The appearance of antibody in low titer is attributed to trace amounts of non-living antigenic contaminants penetrating the germfree barrier. The necessity of appropriate absorption in order to obtain well defined specificities was pointed out. Several means commonly used to differentiate between normal and immune antibodies were employed in this investigation. None showed a difference between anti-B agglutinins from ordinary chicks and from germfree chicks intentionally immunized with blood group B active E. coli O(86) or with B active preparations from human meconium. The implications of these findings on the origin of natural agglutinins are discussed. It is concluded, that measurable anti-human blood group B agglutinins in White Leghorn chicks are acquired early in life and are not inherited. The possibilities as well as limitations of present day germfree technique for this kind of immunological research have been considered.