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The Influence of Epitope Density on the Immunological Properties of Hapten‐Protein Conjugates
Author(s) -
KLAUS C. G. B.,
CROSS A M
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1974.tb01315.x
Subject(s) - hapten , bovine serum albumin , epitope , chemistry , antibody , immune tolerance , antibody response , conjugate , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , antigen , biochemistry , biology , mathematical analysis , mathematics
The influence of epitope density on the induction of hapten‐specific (B‐cell) tolerance by dinitrophenytated bovine serum albumin (DNP.BSA) was investigated. Mice were given multiple iniections of DNP 5 BSA or DNP 50 BSA. and tolerance was assayed by challenge with DNP.haemocyanin Under ‘conventional’ tolerance‐inducing conditions (5 mg three times a week for 2 to 8 weeks). anti‐DNP anti body formation was completely suppressed by DNP 50 BSA but only partially by DNP 5 BSA. However, with a 2‐week intensive regimen equal amounts of hapten as DNP 5 BSA or as DNP 50 BSA induced equal degrees of tolerance Since DNP 50 BSA is lost from the body much more slowly than DNP 5 BSA, these data suggest that high epitope density does not fundamentally affect the tolerogenicity of DNP.BSA. Partial tolerance preferentially suppressed IgG antibody formation to DNP.haemocyanin. whereas higher doses of DNP 50 BSA produced complete DNP‐specific tolerance. During spontaneous loss of tolerance the IgM response recovered more rapidly than the IgG response. These results strongly suggest that IgG precursor cells are more sensitive to tolerance induction than IgM precursors and that tolerance, once induced, is more profound in the former than in the latter.