The complement fixation test in syphilis, commonly known as the Wassermann test.

  • Great Britain. Ministry of Health
Date:
1920
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The complement fixation test in syphilis, commonly known as the Wassermann test. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    (2) Titre of 2complements. Incubation for 2 hours, followed by 16 hours at room temperature. (a) 2 units of amboceptor. Volume. Comple- ment. 2°5 | 5 pas | 10 cd ] L 0-02 | 0-025 | 0-035 | 0-035 ial, 0-03 | 0-035 | 0:045 0-04 (b) Repetition of above with 8 units of amboceptor. | is 0-008 0-008 II. 0° 008 0-008 0-008 0-008 0-01 0-01 Kaup’s general conclusion was that the action of complement was not of a ferment-like or catalytic nature. I have quoted Kaup’s article as it is one of the most recent general reviews of Wassermann technique and has some bearing on questions of concentration in the hemolytic system. Mechanism of Complement Fvxation. This section discusses the relation of hemolytic immune body to complement, and raises the question as to the desirability of distinguishing between the influence — of adsorption and the influence of chemical action in causing the “fixation” of complement. Liefmann and Cohn (1911)* referred to experiments of Sachs and Bolkowska with a serum (rabbit v. ox corpuscles) of relatively low titre (titre 0°0015 with 0°1 complement and 1 e.c. ) per cent. corpuscles, in total volume of 5c.c.). With increasing doses of amboceptor, it was found that, at 0° C., when 20 doses or more were used, the corpuscles fixed practically all the mid- piece of complement, leaving the end-piece free in the fluid; and similar, but less complete, results were obtained with smaller amounts of amboceptor. These results were apparently Inconsistent with previous observations of Liefmann and Cohn, who, using a high titre serum (goat v. sheep corpuscles), had found that, even at 37° C. and with large quantities of ambo- ceptor, only a small amount of mid-piece was fixed. When, however, they repeated Sachs’ experiment with a serum (rabbit * Zeitschr. f. Immunititsforschung, Orig, XI., p. 166:
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