Phagocytosis of Particulate Complexes of γ-Globulin and Rheumatoid Factor

Abstract

Summary Precipitates formed by the interaction of rheumatoid sera and fluorescent γ-globulin were ingested by viable leukocytes. This reaction required preliminary heating of the γ-globulin. The results suggest that the reactive portion of the γ-globulin is in the form of aggregates. The phenomenon of phagocytosis demonstrates a new biologic property of rheumatoid factor-γ-globulin precipitates and illustrates another resemblence of these precipitates to antigen-antibody complexes.