Immunological Unresponsiveness in Guinea Pigs: II. The Effect of Unresponsiveness on the Development of Delayed Type Hypersensitivity to Protein Antigens

Guinea pigs were rendered incapable of making circulating antibody against bovine serum albumin (BSA) or human gamma globulin (HGG), by prenatal and/or neonatal contact with these antigens. They were then treated with a water in oil emulsion of picryl BSA, or with HGG in Freund's adjuvant, or with HGG precipitated with excess rabbit antibody and suspended in a water in oil emulsion, such as to produce a state of delayed hypersensitivity to BSA or HGG respectively in control animals. The guinea pigs which would not make antibody failed to become hypersensitive to these antigens. In one group of unresponsive animals treatment with HGG in Freund's adjuvant resulted in antibody production, but no phase of delayed hypersensitivity was observed.