A heterophile system in human renal transplantation. V. Relationship of heterophile transplantation antigen and common antigen of Enterobacteriaceae.

Heterophile transplantation antigen and common antigen of Enterobacteriaceae appear serologically to be separate specificities. However, both antigens are common to Enterobacteriaceae, rat erythrocytes, and some human kidneys. Both antigens are obtained from various tissues by the same chemical procedure. Immunity to each antigen is frequently produced by renal transplantation. We suggest that the antigens are either separate molecules which are similar in chemical structure in the region of the antigenic determinant as well as in tissue distribution or separate reactive sites located on the same molecule. The possibility that common antigen may be a human alloantigen raises theoretical possibilities relative to susceptibility to infection and pyelonephritis, as well as to its relationship to histocompatibility.