Contribution of Humoral and Cellular Factors to the Resistance to Experimental Infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Mice II. Opsonic, Agglutinative, and Protective Capacities of Immunoglobulin G Anti- Pseudomonas Antibodies

Abstract

The opsonic, agglutinative, and mouse protective capacities of anti- Pseudomonas antibodies in immune and normal human immunoglobulin G (IgG) preparations were investigated. Opsonic activities of the immune IgG preparations correlated well with their protective activities. Antibodies present in normal IgG showed a substantial agglutinative activity but were poorly protective. Anti- Pseudomonas antibodies of both normal and immune IgG preparations were directed against the same serotype antigen as demonstrated by absorption experiments. Immune anti- Pseudomonas IgG antibodies fixed complement very efficiently as demonstrated by opsonophagocytic and hemolytic tests. Natural anti- Pseudomonas IgG antibodies fixed complement very poorly although they promoted phagocytic killing of bacteria only in the presence of heat-labile serum factors. It was concluded that, although agglutination can be used for qualitative measurement of antibacterial antibodies, it fails to measure their functional capacities.