Fatty acids immunogenicity

Hopp, T.R (1984) Immunogenicity of a synthetic HBsAg peptide Enhancement by conjugation to a fatty acid carrier. Mol. Immunol. 21, 13-16. 

Resistance against ascites tumour development and interferon-inducing activity has been demonstrated in the lipopolysaccharide derived from the protein-lipopolysaccharide complex of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Both the lipid A portion and the covalently linked polysaccharide-protein complex appear to be necessary for inhibition of tumour development, whereas the lipid A with amide-linked fatty acid is suficient to induce the in vitro formation of interferon. The lipopolysaccharide of P. aeruginosa has a more pronounced effect as immunogen, mitogen, and interferon inducer than the lipopolysaccharide of Brucella melitensis, although they have similar toxicity levels. Since lipid A is responsible for most of these activities, the variations may be partially explained by structural differences in the lipopolysaccharides. 

With the rediscovery of Landsteiner s observations that even very small molecules could be rendered immunogenic by linking them covalently to a protein, it became possible to develop immunoassays for almost every molecule of clinical interest. The main medical application of immunoassays remained in endocrinology, producing a revolution in clinical practice by facilitating the detection and quantitation of steroids (such as aldosterone and cortisol) and of hormones derived by the biotransformation of single amino acids and fatty acids (such as thyroxine, melatonin, and 5-hydroxytryptophan). Not only is it possible to measure these hormones at the infinitesimally low concentrations at which they naturally occur in tissues, plasma, and other body fluids, but the assays are sufficiently rapid and economical to be useful in day-to-day patient care. 

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