Association of Antibodies to Gm and Antibodies to Australia Antigen in Adolescent Drug Addicts

Summary

A 7.7% incidence of antibodies directed against Gm (a), Gm (b) and Gm (f) antigens of IgG was noted in 298 adolescent drug addicts, as compared to 0.9% in a nonaddicted control group. Isoimmunization as a stimulus for Gm antibody production in addicts was indirectly excluded. A significant association between anti-Au and anti-Gm in the sera of drug addicts was found, which suggests that the hepatitis agent associated with Australia antigen may be responsible for the induction of Gm antibodies in this group.

The authors thank Dr. Parvez Lalezari for the red blood cell antibody determinations. This work was supported, in part, by the American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant IN-28L, by USPHS Grants CA-06551, CA-06927, RR-05539 and Contract No. 70-2234B from the National Institutes of Health, and by an appropriation from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.