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Summary The opsonic activities of γG and γM antibodies to Proteus mirabilis were studied in a leukocyte-bacterial phagocytosis system. γG antibody was superior to γM antibody in enhancing phagocytosis. This superiority was a reflection of the influence of antibody on uptake of bacteria rather than an effect on intracellular fate of the organisms. This difference in the function of antibodies in the two classes of immunoglobulins may explain certain clinical observations which indicate γG antibodies are more protective against infection than γM antibodies.

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