Primary Antibody Response to a Closely Related Heterologous Antigen After Varying Doses of X-Radiation, and its Significance to Related Biologic Phenomena

Abstract

The intraperitoneal route of antigen injection in normal adult mice was closely comparable to the intravenous route in terms of induction period, rate of appearance of antibodies and mean peak titer, and was superior only in terms of the mean total titer. Increase in the antigen concentration from 1 to 10% in 1 ml of RBC did not significantly raise the agglutinin titers of 500-r mice on days 6 to 50, but did raise the mean total titer slightly. A curvilinear relation for the radiation dose and antibody response was obtained in terms of the induction period, rate of appearance of antibodies, mean peak titer, and mean total titer. The significance of these findings is discussed.