The role of T cells and adjuvant in the immune response of mice to foreign erythrocytes |
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Authors: | D W Dresser |
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Abstract: | The splenic response of CBA mice, deprived of thymus-derived cells (T cells), to the injection of different doses of sheep erythrocytes, has been compared to that obtained in control mice which possess T cells. The effect of pertussis injected with the antigen was measured in both groups of mice in terms of the number of plaque-forming cells (PFC) to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) of the five main immunoglobulin classes of mice. The following conclusions have been reached: - a Increasing the antigen concentration does not overcome the depression in the immune response resulting from an absence of T cells; consequently this evidence is incompatible with the role of T cells being solely one of concentration of antigen to B cells.
- b As the antigen dose is increased, the direct effect of adjuvant on B cells is also increased, whereas it is argued that an inverse relationship exists for the effect of adjuvant on T cells in the antigen dose range used here.
- c The lower the concentration of antigen, the greater is the dependence of the adjuvant effect of pertussis on the presence of T cells. This is far apparent for γM-PFC than for non-γM-PFC.
- d A significant proportion of γM-PFC are produced from precursor cells, which do not appear to require T cells for their differentiation into antibodyforming cells.
- e It is possible that adjuvant and T cells stimulate B cells in a similar way. Previously published evidence, which was thought to support the antigen-concentration hypothesis of T cell action, may have been an artefact due to the direct action of adjuvant (or adjuvant-like properties of the antigen preparation itself) on B cells binding antigen.
- f An effect consisting of an impaired γGl response is described in fetal liver reconstituted and one-year old normal mice. The effect is independent of irradiation received during reconstitution and may be due to a partial deficiency of T cells in old age.
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