GENERATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF EGG-YO LK ANTIBODIES SPECIFIC FOR LPS AND LIPID-A - 2 - REPORT - INVESTIGATIONS ON SPECIFICS OF EGG-YOLKANTIBODIES (IGY) AGAINST ENDOTOXINS

Various preparations of egg yolk antibodies against different endotoxi ns of gram-negative bacteria were characterized with regard to their i mmunological properties. To do this, we investigated the reactivity of antibodies against a number of lipopolysaccharides and lipid-A by enz yme-immuno-assays and immunoblot. It could be shown that all antibody preparations contained specific antibodies, reactive with their homolo gous antigen. Furthermore these antibodies showed cross-reactivity wit h structural diverse LPS-and lipid A-antigens from different sources. Anti lipid A-antibodies appeared to be highly crossreactive with purif ied LPS and lipid A from several gram-negative organisms. Egg yolk ant ibodies raised by immunization with LPS showed cross-reactivity with e nterobacterial LPS and only marginal reactivity with both LPS from oth er gram-negative bacteria and lipid A. The results from immunoblot exp eriments confirmed our findings from EIA-studies.