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An Antigen Density Effect on the Hemolytic Efficiency of Complement
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1970
Year
HistocompatibilityImmunohematologyLaboratory ImmunologyConversion EfficiencyImmunologyBlood CellImmunodominanceAntigen ProcessingImmunotherapeuticsImmune SystemHematologyImmunochemistrySingle MoleculeHealth SciencesAutoimmune DiseaseAllergyAntigen Density EffectImmune SurveillanceAutoimmunityHumoral ImmunityCell BiologyAntibody BiologyComplement SystemImmunoglobulin EMedicineIgm Antibody
Abstract It has been generally accepted for many years that immune hemolysis is a “one-hit” phenomenon in that a single complement-fixing antibody site at the cell surface is sufficient for the complement (C) system to produce a local damaged site (S*) which will lead eventually to lysis of the cell (1). A single molecule of IgM antibody has been shown to be capable of initiating the lytic reaction, by fixing one molecule of the first component of C (C1) (2). It has recently become apparent that not all target cells are equally susceptible to the cytolytic effect of IgM antibody and C, and that fixation of C1 at a sensitized site (SA) does not necessarily guarantee that the remaining C components will be able to convert the resulting SAC1 to S* and produce cytolysis; although this conversion efficiency is as high as 30% to 50% with sheep erythrocytes (E) and anti-Forssman antibody (3), it is only about 0.03% with IgM-sensitized nouse leukemia cells (4).