Summary
Rabbits immunized against human gammaglobulin (HGG) were fed with either intact HGG or pepsin-digested HGG. Circulating antibodies were determined over an absorption time of 4 h. The oral application of antigenic peptides reduced circulating antibodies from 550 µg/ml to 120 µg/ml. A further parenteral antigen exposure to 50 mg HGG revealed that orally pretreated animals are protected against a marked blood pressure decrease due to antigen antibody reactions. One possible explanation for this phenomenon is that circulating antibodies are fixed in the wall of the gut by enterally applied antigenic peptides and eliminated into the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract. If this phenomenon can be extrapolated to human beings it would be a new therapeutic concept for the treatment of diseases in which circulating antibodies are of importance.
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Seifert, J., Hallfeld, K., Eberle, B. et al. Changes of the immune response due to the absorption of antigenic protein or peptides. Res. Exp. Med. 182, 255–262 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01851715
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01851715