Immunologic Tolerance in Rats to Type Specific Antigens of Human Erythrocytes.

Abstract

Intraperitoneal injection of human A+ or A- erythrocytes in pre-natal or neo-natal rats reduces the antibody response to subsequent immunization with human A+ erythrocytes. This difference was not due to "incomplete antibodies". No ill effects or impairment of growth was observed in the animals surviving the initial injection. Absorption with human O- erythrocytes reduced the antibody titers against human A+ erythrocytes suggesting that another antigen or group of antigens, probably related to species differences, was responsible for most of the antibody produced by the "tolerant" animals. It appears from these studies that type specific actively acquired tolerance may be conferred to A and D (Rh ) antigens of human erythrocytes.