Comparison of the immune response potential of newborn mice to T dependent and T independent synthetic polypeptides

B. Hardy, E. Mozes, D. Danon

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

Newborn mice do not, in general, produce antibodies during the 1st week of life; this inability to respond immunologically has been attributed to the lack of functional macrophages and T cells. To determine whether B cells of newborn mice are functionally mature and therefore capable of producing antibodies to thymus (T) independent antigens, the response of 1-9 day old C3H/HeJ mice injected with a thymus independent polypeptide, poly(DTyr,DGlu) polyDPro polyDLys was compared to that of their littermates injected with a thymus dependent immunogen, poly(LTyr,Lglu) polyLPro polyLLys. No antibodies were detected in 1 or 2 day old mice immunized with the T dependent antigen, as revealed by haemagglutination and haemolytic plaque forming cell assays, performed 6 days after injection of the antigen. Injection of 3 day old animals with the thymus dependent immunogen resulted in significant immune responses which increased with age. In contrast, 1 and 2 day old mice responded to the T independent immunogen with high antibody levels; however, in 3 day old injected mice, the levels were lower. When 3 day old nude mice were injected with this antigen, no decrease in the immune response was observed. Thus, newborn mice respond immunologically to a thymus independent antigen injected at the first 2 days after birth and the antibody levels decrease with maturation of the thymus.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)261-266
Number of pages6
JournalImmunological Communications
Volume30
Issue number2
StatePublished - 1976
Externally publishedYes

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