Specificity of Encephalitogen-Induced Inhibition of Experimental “Allergic” Encephalomyelitis in the Guinea Pig

Abstract

Summary: Inhibition of EAE by neural extracts is specifically related to the encephalitogenic potential of these extracts. Encephalitogen-induced inhibition is most potent when intracutaneous injections of a water-in-oil emulsion are given before the challenge. The specificity and time relationships suggest an immunologic mechanism, but all attempts to identify antibodies to the encephalitogen have so far been negative. The resistance to the effects of whole body x-irradiation suggests that inhibition of EAE, like EAE itself, is due to the mechanisms underlying delayed-type hypersensitivity.