RESPONSE OF PROTEIN-DEFICIENT MICE TO TETANUS TOXOID - EFFECTS OF ANTIGEN DOSE, ADJUVANTS, PERIOD OF DEPRIVATION AND AGE ON ANTIBODY-PRODUCTION

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 32  (1) , 65-74
Abstract
The effects of a 4% albumin diet initiated at weaning on primary and secondary responses to APO4-absorbed and soluble tetanus toxoid (TT) were studied in C57BL mice. Responses of both groups were directly proportional to the dose of antigen over most of the range tested, but at very low doses protein-deficient mice produced higher primary titers than normal mice. In the primary response APO4-adsorption of the antigen essentially increased the effective dose irrespective of the diet, but after secondary challenge responses to soluble TT were more severely affected by the diet. Normal secdonary titers to APO4-adsorbed TT were achieved when deficient mice were given high doses of antigen. Diet also affected the relative proportions of IgG [immunoglobulin G] and IgM produced in most responses. Gram-negative bacterial vaccines [Brucella abortus, Bordetella pertussis] and lipopolysaccharide [Salmonella typhimurium] increased antibody production in both groups of mice. The low protein diet produced less dramatic effects when initiated at the time of inoculation or later, and mice maintained for longer on the diet produced more nearly normal titers. Mechanisms which may explain these findings are discussed.