The Duration of Responsiveness of Lymph Node Cells Transferred to Adult Homologous Recipients

Abstract

The antibody response which can be produced by lymphoid cells transferred to unresponsive adult homologous recipients has been extensively investigated. In most of these experiments the transferred cells have been challenged by the antigen either in the donor prior to transfer, at the time of transfer in vitro or in the recipient. The present studies were designed to learn how long lymphoid cells transferred to x-radiated adults might remain responsive to antigenic stimulation by delaying their exposure to antigen for varying periods after transfer. Comparable observations have been made by Sterzl in neonatal recipients of adult homologous lymphoid cells (1, 2). A second objective was to look for evidence of antigenic competition in cells from donors immunized simultaneously and equally with two noncross reacting antigens. These doubly sensitized cells were transferred to x-radiated recipients and challenged with one antigen, with both antigens simultaneously and with both antigens at different times and the resultant antibody responses were measured.