Retention of Antigen in Neonatal and Older Chicks

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Abstract
Summary: The retention of S35-labeled bovine serum albumin in organs of neonatal and older chicks was compared. The injection of equivalent amounts of S35-BSA (56 mg/kg body wt) resulted in a significantly higher uptake by the spleen of neonatal than of older chicks. The injection into neonatal chicks of a tolerance-eliciting dose of the antigen (1008 mg/kg body wt) resulted in a proportionally higher uptake by spleen. Antigen incorporated in the livers of neonatal and older chicks disappeared at similar rates, whereas rates of disappearance from the spleen differed for the two groups indicating that the antigen retained in the spleen may be different qualitatively in neonatal chicks than in older chicks.