CANINE C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (CRP) DOES NOT SHARE COMMON ANTIGENICITY WITH HUMAN CRP

Differences in antigenicity between human and canine C-reactive protei ns were investigated by Western blotting analysis. It was confirmed th at several commercial anti-human CRP sera reacted with canine CRP. How ever, 34 anti-canine CRP sera prepared by immunization of rabbits and goats with canine CRP all reacted with canine CRP but not with human C RP in either immunoelectrophoresis or Western blotting. Immunization w ith human CRP produced a cross-reacting antibody that reacted with can ine CRP. Conversely, immunization with canine CRP did not produce a cr oss-reacting antibody that reacted with human CRP. These findings may be interpreted as showing that, while canine and human CRPs do not sha re common antigenicity, they do contain structurally similar antigenic determinants.