Quantitative studies of lipid-soluble tissue antigens as exemplified by the Wassermann antigen-antibody system. II. Comparative studies with mammalian and plant tissue phospholipids.

Summary The specificities of beef heart, human heart, human liver and wheat germ cardiolipins were studied by means of quantitative precipitin and C′-fixation experiments. The mammalian antigens exhibit a marked degree of similarity in their reaction with the Wassermann antibody obtained by humans with syphilis, biologic false positive sera, or from rabbits with experimentally induced syphilitic infections. Likewise, the sera of rabbits immunized with beef or human cardiolipins fail to demonstrate any significant degree of immunologic specificity among the mammalian cardiolipins. The wheat germ cardiolipin can be differentiated by immunologic analysis. The antigenic properties of natural beef heart lecithin and two synthetic preparations, L-a-(dimyristoyl) and L-a-(dioleyl) lecithins, are also evaluated.