234 CHEMISTRY OF THE IMMUNITY REACTIONS 



selectively throwing out of function an organ through the simple 

 process of injecting an antiserum, have been disappointed. Equally 

 little progress has been made in the treatment of malignant growths 

 by the same method. The immune serums usually obtained do, to 

 a certain extent, injure the specific organ, but they also usually 

 injure other organs nearly as much or perhaps more; furthermore they 

 generally contain hemolytic toxins, even if the tissues used in im- 

 munizing are free from blood, and, as we have seen, hemolytic poisons 

 may cause serious tissue destruction.^^ 



Beebe^*^ claims to have secured serums by immunizing with tissue 

 nucleoproteins, that were altogether specifically toxic for the type of 

 cells from which the nucleoproteins were obtained; e. g., immunizing 

 with liver nucleoproteins yielded serum destroying liver cells and 

 no others. Other observers have failed to corroborate this work.^^ 

 According to Zinsser^^ the cytolytic antibodies may be quite distinct 

 from the proteolytic amboceptors which are developed against un- 

 formed protein antigens. 



In view of the present uncertain state of the subject, and the very 

 questionable value of much of the work so far done, the consideration 

 of the various cytolysins or cytotoxins may be dismissed by briefly 

 referring to a few of the most important results. 



Leucocytolytic Serum.*' — This may be obtained either bj^ immunizing 

 with leucocytes obtained from exudates or from the blood, or by using emulsions 

 of lymph-glands. Specific leucocytolytic serum agglutinates leucocytes and 

 produces observable morphologic changes, in the way of solution of the cj'toplasm 

 and cessation of ameboid movements; but it may also react with the fixed tissue 

 cells of the same animal.^'* Of the leucocj^tes, the large granular cells seem most 

 affected and the lymphocytes least. When injected into the peritoneal cavity 

 such serum causes an apparent initial leucopenia, and later a decided leucocj'tosis 

 in the peritoneal fluid. Corresponding with this, if bacteria are injected at the 

 same time as the serum, resistance is found decreased, but later it is much increased. 

 Such serum also contains anticomplement, according to Wassermann, indicating 

 that the injected leucocytes contain complement. Leucocj^totoxin obtained by- 

 immunizing against lymphatic tissue is very thermolabile, being destroyed by 55° C. 

 for thirty minutes, and the serum can be onlj^ partially reactivated by the use of 

 fresh serum. Bacterial filtrates may also contain "leucocidins" analogous to 

 hemolysins. Normal foreign sera are more or less toxic to leucocytes, which can 

 be shown by the reduced capacity of the leucocj'^tes for phagocytosis.*' 



Antiplatelet Serum. — Several experimenters have produced antisera for plate- 

 lets. Lee and Robertson'^ obtained a specific lytic and agglutinative action, re- 

 quiring complement for its accomplishment. Injected into animals this anti- 

 platelet serum caused a condition resembling exactly purpura hemorrhagica in man. 



" See Sata, Ziegler's Beitr., 1906 (39), 1. 



»« Jour. Exp. Med., 1905 (7), 733. 



*' Pearce and Jackson, Jour. Infect. Dis., 1906 (3), 742. See also review by 

 . Wells, Zeit. f. Immunitat., 1913 (19), 599. 



8« Biochem. Zeit., 1916 (77), 129. 



«» Literature, see Flexner, Univ. of Penn. Med. Bull., 1902 (15), 287; Ricketts, 

 Trans. Chicago Path. Soc, 1902 (5), 178; Christian, Deut. Arch. klin. Med., 1904 

 (80), 333; Le.schke, Zeit. Immunitat., 1913 (16), 627; Keeser, Folia Mikrobiol., 

 1914, H. 3. 



•"» Spat, Zeit. Immunitiit., 1914 (21), 565. 



»' L<)hncr, Arch. ges. Physiol., 1915 (162), 129. 



»=' Jour. Med. Res., 1916 (33), 323. 



