THE ANTIBODY-FORMATION BY POLYSACCHARIDS

1. By complement fixation tests, it has been clearly demonstrated that the sera of rabbits immunized with inulin, soluble starch and dextrine contain specific antibodies. 2. All these immune sera gave a negative precipitation reaction. 3. The kind of dextrine which has a construction very near to starch has an antigenic property, but those in a state of further decomposition do not give rise to antibodies. 4. All the three kinds of polysaccharids have power to produce antibodies without any vehicle. Dextrine is the only one of the three that gives rise to immune bodies more readily when pig serum is added to it. 5. Regarded as antigens, inulin stood first and soluble starch and dextrine next in order. 6. All three kinds of polysaccharids that were employed gave a negative protein color reaction. All of them, however, contained nitrogen. It has been proved that the large portion of the nitrogen contained in the soluble starch is derived from its protein contents. 7. It is suggested that in the production of immune bodies by these three kinds of polysaccharids, proteins might play the part of the vehicle. This is, however, still to be determined.