Abstract
The fact that the blood of leprosy patients and white rats and hamsters infected withmurine leprosy has antibacterial effects, especially tuberculostatic activity supplies an importantproblem on the immunological study between leprosy and tuberculosis. This time the ex-periments were carried out to investigate the tuberculostatic activity.
Materials : Mixed serum 42cc from 8 patients (lepromatous 3, tuberculoid 5) and mixedserum 14cc of 8 white rats, 3 months after subcutaneous inoculation of Hawaiian strain, weight 100-140 g, _??_ 6, _??_ 2.
Method : Systematic separation of protein components of the above sera was carried outby Cohn's alcohol precipitation technique(Method 6).Ultracentrifugation was applied underlow temparature (-5°C) to prevent degeneration of protein precipitates and to increase theamount of them.
To examine the tuberculostatic activity, the fractions obtained by the above method weremixid 25, 33, and 50% permil;in modified Lockemann's liquid medium and Mycobact. tuberculosishominis "Strain Aoyama-B " was cultured at 37°C for 2 weeks.
Results : Fraction II precipitated pH 7.0, ethanol concentration 19%, -5°C, 39.000-43.500g(human leprosy) and 41.100-43.500g (murine leprosy) has the strongest activity, then followsFaction III obtained pH 6.8, ethanol concentration 25%, -5°C, 65.000-70.500 g (humanleprosy) and 66.600-70.500g (murine leprosy). Fraction IV precipitated pH 5.8, ethanolconcentration 40%, -5°C, 102.500-109.200g (human leprosy) and 105.300-109.200g (murineleprosy) has no tuberculostatistic activity.
Moreover, the paper electrophoretic analysis of the isolated fractions indicated in 6% β1, andβ2 globulin and 76% ϒ globulin in human Fraction II, 10% β1, 6% β2 and 62% ϒglobulin in human Fraction III and 41% β and 55% ϒ globulin in murine Fraction II and64% β and 28% ϒ globulin in murine Fraction III. Namely, every fraction is known a congregation of β and ϒ globulins.
