IGM ANTIPHENOLIC GLYCOLIPID-I ANTIBODY MEASUREMENTS FROM SKIN-SMEAR SITES - CORRELATION WITH VENOUS ANTIBODY-LEVELS AND THE BACTERIAL INDEX

Measurements of anti-phenolic glycolipid-I antibodies were made in 200 matched samples of capillary blood from the skin-smear site, venous b lood collected on filter paper, and sera. A close correlation among th e three samples was observed and a weaker correlation among the antibo dy levels and the average and skin-smear bacterial index. Capillary bl ood from the skin-smear site had a consistently higher level of antibo dies in each sample than did the sera. The collection of capillary blo od from skin-smear sites is a convenient and economical method of obta ining samples for serology and for measuring local antibody levels, an d it may be more sensitive than measurements of antibodies in sera.