Title: The specificity of the early immune response to dinitrophenylated human γG-globulin
Abstract: Guinea pigs immunised in the footpads with dinitrophenylated human γG globulin (DNP-HGG) in complete Freund's adjuvant form antibodies of three well defined specificities: antibody specific for the hapten (DNP), antibody specific for the carrier molecule (HGG) and antibody specific for the hapten-carrier complex. The amount of circulating antibody of these difference specificities was found, however, to be dependent on the time following immunisation, as their order of appearance in the circulation varied. Thus, the first demonstrable humoral response 7–10 days following immunisation was exclusively of anti-complex specificity. At this time no antibody against either the hapten or the carrier itself was demonstrable. Six weeks following immunisation, however, anti-complex antibody accounted for only about 40 per cent of total antibody production while the majority (50 per cent) was of anti-hapten specificity. Antibody production against the carrier accounted for the additional 10 per cent. This specificity closely paralleled that observed on delayed hypersensitivity skin testing. Seven days following sensitisation positive skin tests were demonstrable only with the immunising antigen. By the third week following sensitisation, however, positive skin tests were also demonstrable with a variety of dinitrophenylated antigens but were always of a lesser extent than those evoked with DNP-HGG. Guinea pigs rendered tolerant to the carrier (HGG) molecule and then challenged with DNP-HGG exhibited depressed humoral and cell mediated immunity compared with control animals. Such reactions that were evoked, however, were comparable in both order of appearance and in specificity to those seen in normal animals, except that in the tolerant animals no immune responses were directed against the carrier (HGG) molecule. In these animals antibody specific for the DNP-HGG complex accounted for the majority of serum antibody produced during the whole period of study. As with normal animals this antibody was associated with both γ1 and γ2 immunoglobulin classes. These findings endorse the concept that early immune responses, both cell-mediated and humoral, are directed against what might be termed 'configurational' determinants of an antigen.
Publication Year: 1970
Publication Date: 1970-03-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
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Cited By Count: 14
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