REGULATORY MECHANISM OF AUTOANTIBODY PRODUCTION IN MICE TO BROMELIN-TREATED ISOLOGOUS RED BLOOD-CELLS

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  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 36  (2) , 257-264
Abstract
In the spleen of mice immunized with bromelin-treated rat red blood cells (RBC), the number of PFC [plaque-forming cells] against bromelin-treated isologous RBC increased, although immunization with non-treated rat RBC or bromelin treated isologous RBC gave no increase in the number of these PFC. This immune response was T[thymus-derived] cell independent and the PFC developed are exclusively of direct or Ig[immunoglobulin]M type. In the secondary immune response, production of these PFC was depressed rather than increased. This may be 1 of the defense mechanisms against overproduction of autoantibodies in confrontation to foreign antigens cross-reactive with self antigenic determinants. This depressed secondary immune response can be adoptively transferred by primed spleen cells but no active suppressor effect was found. Clonal elimination by exhaustive differention may be operative in this depressed secondary immune response.