DISTINCTION BETWEEN SUPPRESSORS OF DELAYED-TYPE HYPERSENSITIVITY AND HUMORAL RESPONSE TO SHEEP ERYTHROCYTES

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 35  (5) , 721-731
Abstract
Suppressors for delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) and the humoral immune response could be simultaneously induced in the spleens of mice by immunization with a high dose of SRBC [sheep red blood cells]. Normal recipient mice of the spleen cells from donors immunized 5 days previously elicited depressed DTH or humoral response when immunized with SRBC. The suppressive activity resided in T [thymus derived cell] not B [bone marrow derived cell] enriched fraction. Irradiation (400 rad) of the primed spleen cells resulted in complete loss of DTH suppressor activity, but only in some reduction of the suppressor activity for the humoral response. Hydrocortisone treatment of the donor mice caused no loss of DTH suppressor activity while approximately 1/2 of the suppressive activity for anti-SRBC PFC [plaque forming cell] response was lost. Adult thymectomy prevented completely the induction of the DTH suppressor in contrast to little loss of the suppressor activity for the humoral response. DTH suppression was antigen-specific for the induction, but nonspecific for the expression. The suppression of the humoral response was antigen-specific not only for the induction but also for the expression. DTH suppressor was capable of suppressing the induction and expression of DTH while the humoral response was suppressed only in the induction stage by the suppressor.