Differential blood clearance rates of xenogenic erythrocytes in young rabbits

Guinea-pig erythrocytes are cleared very rapidly from the circulating blood of 10-day-old rabbits; in contrast, sheep and mouse erythrocytes are cleared twelve to thirteen times more slowly, while rat erythrocytes are cleared six times more slowly. The differential rates of blood clearance of these xenogeneic erythrocytes largely substantiate differences between low titres of haemagglutinins or haemolysins, either naturally acquired or of maternal origin. Interference by such antibody in induction of the plaque-forming cell response and the minimum time antigen must persist in the circulation for successful induction of a haemolytic antibody-forming cell response are discussed.