The D-Penicillamine Determinant

D-Penicillamine may arise directly from penicilloic acid or through formation of a penicillamine-cysteine mixed disulfide, following a penamaldate rearrangement (Levine 1960 c Yemal et al. 1978). This reaction also occurs with functional derivatives of the alpha-carboxylic group of penicilloic acid (Schneider et al. 1973). The penicillamine determinant may therefore arise in vivo from any penicilloyl conjugate. 

Experimentally, the capacity of the D-penicillamine group to act as antigenic determinant has been shown by Assem and Vickers (1974), immunizing rabbits with penicillamine-disulfide protein conjugates. The immunogenicity of D-penicillamine itself, as used for treatment of Wilson s disease or in rheumatic disorders, has been demonstrated (Amos 1973), It has also been shown that penicillamine can behave as experimental contact sensitizer in guinea pigs (Levine 1960 a Caron 1963). 

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