Abderhalden reaction
Encyclopedia
The Abderhalden reaction is a now defunct blood test
for pregnancy
developed by Emil Abderhalden
.
In 1909 Abderhalden
found that on identification of a foreign protein in the blood, the body reacts with a "defensive fermentation" (in modern terms, a protease
reaction) that causes disintegration of the protein. He developed the test in 1912. This test became a subject of contention soon after its development, and a significant body of work was published both in support of and refuting the test's reliability. One such publication concluded "...the individual variations of both pregnant and non-pregnant sera make the results from both overlap so completely as to render the reaction, even with quantitative technique, absolutely indecisive for either positive or negative diagnosis of pregnancy." (Van Slyke et al. 1915). The test's overall unreliability led to its being superseded in 1928 by the Aschheim-Zondek test
. Due to Abderhalden's high reputation, it was not internationally acknowledged until long after his death that the underlying theory of "defensive enzymes" (Abwehrfermente) was entirely fraudulent (Deichmann & Müller-Hill 1998).
Blood test
A blood test is a laboratory analysis performed on a blood sample that is usually extracted from a vein in the arm using a needle, or via fingerprick....
for pregnancy
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
developed by Emil Abderhalden
Emil Abderhalden
Emil Abderhalden was a Swiss biochemist and physiologist. His main findings, though disputed already in the 1920s, were not finally rejected until the late 1990s. Whether his misleading findings were based on fraud or simply the result of a lack of scientific rigor remains unclear...
.
In 1909 Abderhalden
Emil Abderhalden
Emil Abderhalden was a Swiss biochemist and physiologist. His main findings, though disputed already in the 1920s, were not finally rejected until the late 1990s. Whether his misleading findings were based on fraud or simply the result of a lack of scientific rigor remains unclear...
found that on identification of a foreign protein in the blood, the body reacts with a "defensive fermentation" (in modern terms, a protease
Protease
A protease is any enzyme that conducts proteolysis, that is, begins protein catabolism by hydrolysis of the peptide bonds that link amino acids together in the polypeptide chain forming the protein....
reaction) that causes disintegration of the protein. He developed the test in 1912. This test became a subject of contention soon after its development, and a significant body of work was published both in support of and refuting the test's reliability. One such publication concluded "...the individual variations of both pregnant and non-pregnant sera make the results from both overlap so completely as to render the reaction, even with quantitative technique, absolutely indecisive for either positive or negative diagnosis of pregnancy." (Van Slyke et al. 1915). The test's overall unreliability led to its being superseded in 1928 by the Aschheim-Zondek test
Aschheim-Zondek test
The Aschheim-Zondek test is an obsolete pregnancy test. It is based upon the observation that when urine from a female in the early months of pregnancy is injected into immature female mice, the ovaries of the mice enlarge and show follicular maturation. The test was considered reliable, with an...
. Due to Abderhalden's high reputation, it was not internationally acknowledged until long after his death that the underlying theory of "defensive enzymes" (Abwehrfermente) was entirely fraudulent (Deichmann & Müller-Hill 1998).