Specificity of human serum antibodies against endotoxin from N. gonorrhoeae

Sera from patients with gonorrhoea were used to study the specificity of human antibodies against determinant a of endotoxin from gonococcal strains 8551, V, and VII. The sera were tested by an indirect haemagglutination technique before and after absorption with endotoxin from the same strains. The sera were used untreated and treated with mercaptoethanol (ME). The untreated and ME-treated sera showed antibody activity against all the a determinants when examined unabsorbed. After absorption with any of the endotoxin preparations the sera usually demonstrated antibody activity against one or both of the other preparations. The pattern of reactivity thus observed differed from one serum to another. Treatment of sera with ME resulted in an altered pattern of reactivity of four of the five sera. The results indicate multispecificity of human antibodies against the a determinants.