INFLUENCE OF SEX UPON ANTIBODY RESPONSE TO AN INCOMPATIBLE TUMOUR

  • 1 January 1965
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 9  (6) , 553-+
Abstract
(BALB/cX C57B1) hybrids and strain 129 hosts of both sexes were immunized with heavily irradiated cells of the C3H ascites sarcoma, B.P.8. It was found that both the primary and secondary hemagglutinin responses were higher in females than males of the same strain. After passive immunization, antibody titers declined at equal rates in the 2 sexes. It is concluded that antibody synthesis is sustained at a higher rate in females than males. Further experiments were performed to investigate the basis of this difference. The effects of oophorectomy and estrogen replacement treatment indicate that the superior reactivity of females is not due to the presence of ovarian tissues. It is concluded from the effects of orchidectomy that the immunological inferiority of males is due partly to the presence of the testes. However, treatment with testosterone propionate failed to influence the hemagglutinin response to irradiated B.P.8 in 2 experiments. An acute illness resembling severe "runt disease" was observed in estrogen treated mice after immunization.