The Liver as a Source of Bacterial Agglutinin

Serum and tissues containing agglutinin for the hog cholera bacillus may be dried in vacuo over sulfuric acid without appreciably injuring the antibody. The desiccated material when extracted with appropriate amounts of distilled water offers a basis for accurate comparison of antibody content. The greatest concentration of agglutinin occurred in the liver, provided the animals injected with small amounts of antigen were killed within a short period. The serum of those more highly immunized contained the greatest concentration of antibody. A single injection of antigen into a radicle of the mesenteric vein resulted in a considerable concentration of agglutinin in the liver. Other experiments indicated that the liver does not act as a reservoir for the antibody. It has also been shown that this concentration of agglutinin cannot be ascribed to the blood left within the liver, since the blood serum was relatively poor in antibody. The experiments indicate that the agglutinin was produced within the liver.