Development of antibody to each component of Clostridium botulinum type E progenitor toxin.

The passive hemagglutination test with the sheep red blood cells coupled with Clostridium botulinum type E progenitor toxin is highly sensitive and specific to titrate type E botulinum antitoxin. The hemagglutination titers are proportional to the neutralization titers in sera obtained from immunized animals of different species, except for those taken at an early stage after the primary stimulation, when a greater part of the antibodies is in the IgM fraction. By the use of the sheep red blood cells coupled with each component of the progenitor toxin, the antibody against each component of progenitor or activated progenitor toxin can be titrated. A single injection with formol toxoid of the progenitor or activated progenitor toxin stimulated the animal to produce the antibody to each component at similar rates. No different immunogenicities were found between progenitor and activated progenitor toxins.