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The Antibody Response to Polyinosinic · Polycytidylic Acid

Arthritis and Rheumatism Branch, National Institute of Arthritis, Metabolism and Digestive Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland 20014

Abstract

The antibody response to the synthetic double-stranded RNA polyinosinic·polycytidylic acid (rI·rC) was investigated in mice and rabbits. Mice developed an early, largely IgM, antibody response of short duration after a single injection of rI·rC in aqueous solution. The magnitude of this response was unaffected by complexing rI·rC to a protein carrier. Relative tolerance rather than increased amounts of antibody followed subsequent injections of rI·rC. However, there was a shift in antibody class to IgG. When rI·rC was given in Freund's adjuvant prolonged IgG antibody responses occurred with peaks appearing 2 or more weeks after immunization. Administration of rI·rC complexed to an immunogenic protein carrier in adjuvant resulted in highest (IgG) antibody levels. The magnitude of enhancement by carrier was greater in rabbits (10- to 100-fold) than in mice (3- to 10-fold). Inbred strains of mice were separable into "high" and "low" responding strains when rI·rC was given either in aqueous solution or in adjuvant. Low responders could be made high responders by complexing rI·rC to a carrier and immunizing in adjuvant. These studies suggest that the immunogenic properties of rI·rC are similar to other materials, and that differences are also apparent.