Biological Activities of Rabbit Immunoglobulin M and Immunoglobulin G Antibodies to Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Immunoglobulin (Ig)M and IgG antibodies, prepared in the rabbit against the protective antigen of Pseudomonas aeruginosa P4, were compared as to their biological activities in vitro and in vivo. In vitro biological activities of these antibodies were determined by passive hemagglutination, bactericidal, and opsonophagocytic tests. Increased effectiveness of IgM over IgG on a molar basis was demonstrated in all of these tests. However, in mouse protection tests, in which the purified globulins were injected intraperitoneally 4 hr prior to challenge with P. aeruginosa suspended in hog gastric mucin, IgM anticapsular antibody was found to be less effective than IgG antibody. The exact mechanism whereby IgG antibody exerts more protective ability than IgM antibody is still unknown. We present evidence to suggest that the difference in activity between the two classes of antibody is due to the ability of the IgG antibody to enter the bloodstream more rapidly than the IgM antibody and also to the ability of IgG to diffuse rapidly through the tissues of the organs.