Age influenced cattle serum antigen detected by autoantibodies

Abstract

SUMMARYThe serum of an Italian Fviesian bull (Rocket-Ab) contained autoantibodies specific for a serum antigen (R Ag ) whose expression seems age-influenced. The A precipitin line appeared between the sera of Rocket-Ab (a bull) and 1035 (a calf). At the time samples were collected, the former was five years and the latter three months old. To distinguish which of these two sera contained the antibodies, both were tested against a panel of fourty normal sera. The calf 1035 showed no reaction, whereas Rocket-Ab reacted with three animals.Obviously the latter was the source of antibodies. Rocket-Ab, in