Experimental Eosinophilia X. Relation of Antigen-Antibody Complex Size and Protein Molecular Weight to Cell Responses. ∗ †

Summary

Eosinophil infiltrations were found in guinea pig popliteal lymph nodes 6 hours after foot pad injections of purified proteins or corresponding soluble antigen-antibody complexes. Quantitated cell responses in this model served to evaluate eosinotactic influences of primary antigen exposure and of antigen-antibody union. Ribonuclease (BRN), serum albumin (BSA), gamma globulin (BGG), and thyroglobulin (BTG) of bovine origin; horse spleen ferritin (HSF), hemo-cyanin (HCN) from Homarus americanus, and tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) were used as representative purified proteins ranging in molecular weights from 13,000 to 40,700,000 and to prepare a spectrum of soluble complexes with rabbit antibody in moderate excesses of antigen. In equal weight dosages the smaller complexes and preparations of lower molecular weight proteins evoked significantly greater eosinophilia (BRN > BSA, BGG, HSF>BTG, HCN, TMV). When dosages of the preparations from specific proteins (BRN, BSA, BGG, BTG, HCN) were based on equivalent numbers of moles, significant differences were not found. It is suggested that the number rather than size of presenting antigen-antibody complexes or protein molecular aggregates may be one critical factor in the degree of emerging eosinophilia of inflammatory cell responses.