Cross-reactive human blood group H-active polysaccharide from Helix pomatia. I. Detection with catfish anti-H and eel sera

Abstract

A galactogen from the albumin gland of Helix pomatia precipitates with three different catfish (Tandanus tandanus) anti-H sera and with a sample of normal eel serum. The galactogen appears to lack fucose and fails to inhibit human group O erythrocyte agglutination by saline extracts of Ulex europaeus, Evonymus europaeus and Lotus tetragonolobus, but it inhibits the agglutination of group O red cells by catfish antisera and eel serum. The possible nature of the galactogen determinant involved in the reaction with the catfish and eel anti-H sera is discussed.