Polyclonal antibody production induced by parotid protein and its active glycopeptide in mouse and human lymphocytes.

Parotid protein (extracted from bovine parotid gland), one parotid subunit, and the active fragment (FrAA-1) induced polyclonal IgM, IgG, and IgA antibody production in murine spleen cells in vivo and in vitro. The parotid subunit also elicited polyclonal IgM antibody responses in immune defective CBA/N and LPS nonresponder C3H/HeJ mouse. When one carbohydrate residue in the subunit was removed by treatment with mixed galactosidase, the ability to generate nonspecific responses was markedly reduced. In human peripheral lymphocytes, the parotid subunit and FrAA-1 induced considerable polyclonal IgM antibody production. The subunit was not toxic to human lymphocytes. Therefore, it seems possible that parotid protein could be applied to immunopharmacological therapy for conditions such as immunodeficiency.