Radioimmunoassay of the WZ polymorphic antigens of normal human colon and their relationship with ABH antigenic determinants.

Heat resistant, high mol. wt glycoproteins of the three WZ phenotypes (W+Z+, W-Z+ and W-Z-) were extracted from normal human colonic mucosa and labelled with 125I. More than 80 per cent of the radioactivity of the W+Z+ antigens labelled with I125, was precipitated by natural or immune anti-W antibodies. About 60 per cent of the W-Z+ 125I-labelled antigens were precipitated by immune anti-Z antibodies. No specific precipitation could be detected with W-Z- 125I-labelled antigens. All the precipitin reactions were quantitatively inhibited with the crude antigen extracts of the corresponding phenotypes. The W and Z antigens were only found in the intestinal mucosa and there was a 100-fold increase in the relative concentrations between the small bowel and the rectum. As opposed to this, the ABH antigens were found in all the digestive secretions studied, except those of the rectum, and their relative concentrations progressively decreased by about 100 between the small intestine and the recutm. The decrease in ABH concentration seems to be correlated to a WZ increase in the same regions.