Specificities of Paul-Bunnell antigens in the spleen and lymph nodes of patients with malignant lymphoma and leukemia and in the stroma of the erythrocyte of foreign species

Abstract

Paul-Bunnell (P-B) antigen in the chloroform-methanol extracts of the spleen and lymph nodes of patients with malignant lymphoma and leukemia was comprared with P-B antigen of erythrocyte of foreign species regarding their antigenic specificities.
Four different specificities of P-B antigen were defined serologically; called as BS, BH, BG and B antigen. Sheep RBC were shown to possess BS antigen only, whereas horse RBC had BH antigen in addition to BS antigen, and bovine RBC (BRBC) possessed all four P-B antigens. Goat RBC were also to possess BS antigen. However, BH, BG and B antigen were found on erythrocytes of some but not all individual goats.
The extracts of spleen and lymph nodes of patients with malignant lymphoma contained simutaneously BS, BH, BG and B antigen in most cases, like BRBC. Buffy coat of blood of patient with infectious mononucleosis in its early stage also contained all four P-B antigens.