Regulation of Homocytotropic Antibody Formation in the Rat

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Abstract
An enhanced and sustained production of homocytotropic antibody (HTA) was induced in rats that received 400 R of whole body x-irradiation and simultaneously were immunized with dinitrophenylated Ascaris suum extract (DNP-As) and Bordetella pertussis vaccine. The donor rats were hyperimmunized by repeated injections of DNP-As, As (unconjugated carrier) or DNP-BSA (hapten coupled to a different carrier) in complete Freund's adjuvant. Suspensions of 108 to 109 thymocytes or spleen cells from hyperimmunized donors were passively transferred to recipient rats that were producing high titers of HTA. The production of HTA against DNP-As in the recipients was drastically reduced within 2 days after the transfer of thymocytes or spleen cells from donors hyperimmunized with DNP-As or As, whereas cells from the donors immunized with DNP-BSA showed no inhibitory effect. The results indicate that carrier-specific thymus-derived lymphocytes negatively regulate the HTA formation that is virtually hapten-specific.

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