ACCELERATED DEVELOPMENT OF Th‐2 TYPE OF HELPER EFFECT IN MRL/MpJ‐lpr/lpr AND BXSB/MpJ MICE

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Abstract
Age-dependent changes in suppressor capacity and B cell responsiveness occur during adult life. An age-dependent change in helper function is reported. A Th-2 type of helper effect can be observed in tissue culture of mouse spleen cells from animals sensitized with a macromolecule. An indirect plaque-forming response to the hapten occurs when the spleen cells are exposed to the sensitizing macromolecule and to the hapten conjugated to a carrier, structurally unrelated to the sensitizing macromolecule. There is considerable polymorphism in the age at which this effect is first demonstrable and at which it reaches mature levels. Mice of inbred strains, with various defects in the suppressor cell circuit (SJL/J, MRL/MpJ-lpr/lpr, BXSB/MpJ) show an accelerated development of Th-2 helper capacity in the indirect plaque-forming response.