[Several properties of low-molecular weight tetanus antitoxin].

Following intravenous injection of tetanus antitoxin, obtained by tryptic digestion of the horse immunoglobulin "Diaferm-3", purification and concentration of active fragments, the antitoxin was eliminated from the rabbit organism three times more rapidly than after the injection of the original "Diaferm-3" antitoxin. After injection of the split antitoxin its urinary excretion lasted up to 6 days, whereas following injection of the "Diaferm-3" antitoxin it was excreted for up to 19 days; in the first case considerably less antitoxin was excreted than in the second one (2 and 3.5%, respectively). In both cases in the antitoxin excreted with urine represented monovalent. Fab'-fragments, producing a delay in precipitation in the cross reaction in agar gel between the tetanus toxoid and the tetanus antiserum. Fab'-fragment obtained by the mentioned method possessed anaphylactogenic properties.