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Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) of two different specificities were produced by immunizing mice with the semipurified M antigen of histoplasmin. One type, from clone CB4, was an immunoglobulin M that precipitated a polysaccharide present in histoplasmin and also formed immunoprecipitates with a cross-reactive polysaccharide present in extracts of Blastomyces dermatitidis and Coccidioides immitis. The second type of MAb, from clone EC2, was an immunoglobulin G that reacted in the enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB) assay with a doublet of proteins with an apparent molecular size of 70 to 75 kilodaltons. This molecule is proposed as the authentic M protein antigen that is recognized by M antibodies in sera from mice and rabbits immunized with Histoplasma capsulatum and from persons with histoplasmosis. The M factor also occurs in an abundant disulfide-bridged dimer which has a molecular size of 150 kilodaltons and is nonimmunoreactive under the conditions of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

The observation that the blood glutathione was low in psychotic patients (Altschule et al., 1952) and that pineal extract injections raised the level of blood glutathione, led to the treatment of manic-depressive and schizophrenic psychoses with the extract.Altschule (1957) described remission of chronic schizophrenia following the administration of a protein-containing extract of pineal gland. This remission was associated with an elevation of blood glutathione, a reduction in ketosteroid output, and an elevation in the eosinophil counts. However, patients soon showed clinical and biochemical relapse despite continued injections. This was irreversible in those receiving injections for a month or more. Altschule subsequently developed a protein-free alkaline extract of beef pineal gland which he reported produced a similar clinical remission with the associated biochemical changes, without the development of refractoriness. Altschule stated that neither type of extract produced local or general allergic responses when