THE EFFECT OF ROUTE OF ADMINISTRATION OF ANTIGEN ON THE ANTIBODY-CONTAINING CELL RESPONSE IN LYMPH OF SHEEP

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 42  (4) , 577-582
Abstract
The output and Ig class of antibody-containing cells (ACC) in lymph from different regions of adult sheep was compared following i.p. or s.c. injection of ovalbumin [OA] in Freund''s complete adjuvant (FCA). Injection (i.p.) of antigen in FCA elicited no response at all in popliteal lymph, but there were substantial responses in lymph from the hepatic, celiac (which carries lymph mainly from the abomasum and anterior duodenum) and intestinal lymphatic ducts. A significant increase in the number of blast cells accompanied the ACC response. ACC reached a peak 7 days after injection when ACC comprised 3.7% .+-. 0.7%, 2.3% .+-. 0.7% and 3.3% .+-. 0.6% of total lymphocytes in lymph from the hepatic, celiac and intestinal ducts, respectively. At this time ACC were distributed among 3 Ig classes IgM, IgG1 and IgA with the latter constituting 25-40% of ACC in lymph from the 3 regions. ACC did not appear in intestinal lymph following s.c. injection of OA in FCA in the leg immediately below the tarsus. This contrasted with the vigorous response in popliteal lymph where 6 days after the injection ACC constituted 3.9% of cells in lymph. Most (83%) of the ACC were IgG1-specific at the peak of the response. The remaining ACC were distributed among the IgM, IgG2 and IgA classes with the latter comprising 3% of total ACC.