Occurrence and antifibrinogen
antibodies level have been determined in sera of 50 individuals with
serum sickness and in 50 blood donors constituting the control group. Antifibrinogen
antibodies have been detected in blood of 41 (82%) blood recipients. Titre of these
antibodies have ranged from 1:8 to 1:512, and their agglutination potency has ranged from 5 to 67 Dunsford's units. Immediately after
serum sickness diagnosis a decrease in both level and agglutination potency of these
antibodies has been noted. Further treatment with full blood constantly increased both the level and agglutination potency of antifibrinogen
antibodies. It is probable, that
fibrinogen and its degradation products present in the given blood stimulated
antibodies production. This hypothesis is fortified by the observation, that stable decrease in both the level and agglutination potency of antifibrinogen
antibodies in patients with
serum sickness treated with washed erythrocytes. Antifibrinogen
antibodies of a titre ranging from 1:4 to 1:16, and agglutination potency of 5-18 Dunford's units have been detected in 14 blood donors constituting a control group. Specificity of the detected antifibrinogen
antibodies as well as their
IgG character have been also confirmed.