INVITRO ANTIBODY-RESPONSE TO INFLUENZA-VIRUS .1. T-CELL DEPENDENCE OF SECONDARY RESPONSE TO HEMAGGLUTININ

Abstract

A good secondary Ig[immunoglobulin]G response to the hemagglutinin (HA) of influenza virus was obtained in vitro in Marbrook-type cultures of influenza-primed mouse spleen cell suspensions stimulated with inactivated influenza virus. Anti-HA antibody was quantitated by solid phase radioimmunoassay (RIA) by using purified HA as substrate. T [thymus-derived] dependence of this secondary response was shown by T cell depletion and reconstitution with a primed or unprimed T cell source. Help given by T cells primed to the homologous virus was many times greater than that given by unprimed T cells, although the latter was significant. The system described will allow investigation of specificity requirements of helper T cells engaged in the anti-HA response.