COMPLEMEXT FIXATIOS AM) W ASSEltM WX REACT/OX 237 



soap conipouiid is the active substance in sypliilitic sera. ^Mcintosh " 

 says that the active component differs from typical antibodies in not 

 passing through collodion or porcelain filters, and there are many who 

 hold that the reacting substance is a product of tissue disintegration. 

 AVassermann ^^'"^ has found evidence that the antibody is derived from 

 the lymphocytes, at least in the spinal fluid of syphilitics. 



Whether true antibodies are concerned in the Wassennann reaction 

 is a question. In favor of this view is the fact that the serum of 

 rabbits immunized with congenital syphilis livers contains an anti- 

 body giving the Wassennann reaction, exactly like the serum of 

 syphilitics.'- On the other hand, the actual substance of pure cultures 

 •of spirochetes does not ordinarily act as antigen with syphilitic sera 

 in the Wassennann reaction (Noguchi). It is highly probable that 

 when syphilitic liver extracts are used as antigen in the Wassermann 

 reaction, we have a true Bordet-Gengou reaction of complement fixa- 

 tion with the syphilitic substance present in this extract, in addition 

 to the reaction which is accomplished by the lipoids. Whether the 

 complement is destroyed by enzymes,^^ or is inhibited by anti-comple- 

 ment present in syphilitic serum, or is destroyed by some toxic sub- 

 stance in the serum " are matters still under discussion. A favorite 

 interpretation of the Wassermann reaction, which seems to harmonize 

 with the known facts, is that there is a precipitation of serum globu- 

 lin by the lipoidal colloids of the antigen, and adsorption of the com- 

 plement by this precipitate. 



Klausner's Serum Reaction. — When distilled water is added in cer- 

 tain proportions to fresh serum, a distinct flocculent precipitate 

 separates out in a few hours, and this property- is much more marked 

 in syphilitic than in normal sera. While not specific for syphilis, this 

 reaction is almost invariably present in certain stages of syphilis. 

 This property is not due to the excess of globulin present in sj^phi- 

 litic sera, according to the later studies of Klausner,^^ who be- 

 lieves that the high lipoid content of syphilitic serum is responsi- 

 ble. '-^ 



Porges-Hermann-Perutz Reaction. — If equal parts of a 2% solution 

 of sodium glycocholate and an alcoholic cholesterol suspension (0.4%) 

 <ire added to inactivated serum from syphilitic patients, a precipitate 



11 Zeit. Immunitiit., 1910 (5), 76. 



iia Wassermann and Lange, Berl. klin. Woch.. 1014 (51), .527. 



12 Citron and Munk, Deut. med. Woch., 1910 (36), 1560: Eiken. Zeit. Imninni- 

 tat., 1915 (24), 188. 



13 Manwarinjr, Zeit. f. Immunitiit.. 1909 (.3), 309. 

 1* Kiss, ihid., 1910 (4), 703. 



15 Biochem. Zeit., 1912 (47), 36. 



15a Tliat the serum of sypliilitics is much altered chemieally is shown by all 

 these reactions. Bruck has also found that the precipitate produced by adding 

 strong nitric acid to syphilitic serum is characteristically insoluble and gelatinous 

 (Miinch. med. Woch.,* 1917 (64), 25). 



