REAGINIC ANTIBODY-FORMATION IN MOUSE .10. POSSIBLE ROLE OF SUPPRESSOR T CELLS IN TRANSIENT IGE ANTIBODY-RESPONSES

Abstract

The kinetics of Ig[immunoglobulin]E antibody response to alum-absorbed dinitrophenyl derivatives of ovalbumin (DNP-OA) was dependent on the dose of immunogen. A persistent IgE antibody response was obtained when high responder BDF1 mice were immunized with a minimum (0.05 .mu.g) dose. An increase of the immunogen to 10 .mu.g depressed IgE antibody responses but enhanced IgG antibody responses of hapten and carrier specificities. Determination of T [thymus-derived] helper cell activity and B [bone marrow-derived] memory cells after immunization with different doses of antigen indicated that minimum immunogen was favorable for developing helper activity, whereas 1-10 .mu.g immunogen were more favorable than a 0.05-.mu.g dose for developing IgE and IgG B memory cells. Neither helper T cells nor B memory cells in the spleen explains a transient IgE antibody response to a high (10 .mu.g) dose of DNP-OA. Immunization with 10 .mu.g OA apparently induced generation of antigen-specific suppressor T cells, which were not detectable after immunization with 0.05 .mu.g OA. Transfer of suppressor T cells to DNP-OA-primed mice depressed both anti-hapten and anti-carrier IgE antibody responses. Suppressor T cells are apparently involved in a transient IgE antibody response to a high-dose immunogen.