Purification of soluble complement-fixing antigens from two Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines. Conditions affecting the stability and recovery of antigens and antibodies.

Soluble Epstein--Barr virus (EBV) associated antigens of P3HR-1 and Raji cell lines, which fix complement in the presence of human sera containing antibody against EBV--VCA antigens, were partially purified by fractionating centrifuged cell lysates by the method of immunoadsorbents or by precipitation with ammonium sulphate or glycine--HCl. Purification conditions were limited by the instability of both antigen and antibody activity. The antibody was inactivated under all the conditions commonly used to dissociate antigen--antibody complexes. The antigen was inactivated at pH 2-3, and was irreversibly bound to Sephadex G-200 conjugates which had not been exposed to large excesses of serum.