"Foreign Serum" Heterophile Antibodies in Patients Receiving Antithymocyte Antisera

Forty-six patients with venous immunologically mediated or lymphoproliferativediseases received goat antihuman thymocyte antisera globulin (ATG) therapy.Heterophile antibody production occurredin 91 % of these patients, following ATGadministration. The heterophile antibodywas absorbable with both guinea pig kidney and boiled beef erythrocyte antigens.This corresponds to a form of heterophileantibody previously reported as a "serumsickness" variety. The heterophile antibodywas composed of a mixture of gamma Gand gamma M antibodies and was partiallyabsorbed by ATG. Serum sickness did notoccur in any of these patients, in spite ofthe production of heterophile antibodies. Itis recommended that the involved heterogenetic antigen be termed "foreign serum"variety, and the resulting antibody described as a "foreign serum" type of heterophile antibody.

Submitted on January 15, 1973 Revised on March 1, 1973 Accepted on March 5, 1973