HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Rubin, B. Articles by Wigzell, H. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Rubin, B. Articles by Wigzell, H.

The Immune Response Against Hapten-Autologous Protein Conjugates in the Mouse

IV. Thymus Dependency of the Primary Response to Hapten-Autologous Albumin Conjugates¹

From the Department of Tumor Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

Abstract

The present experiments were carried out to determine whether antibody formation in response to a hapten coupled to a non-immunogenic carrier was thymus-dependent. Mouse serum albumin (MSA) was used as the nonimmunogenic carrier. The anti-hapten responses to hapten-MSA conjugates of different hapten density were compared to the anti-hapten responses to hapten coupled to heterologous carriers in the following types of mice: 1) normal mice, 2) thymectomized, irradiated, and bone marrow cell reconstituted (TXBM) mice, 3) "sham"-thymectomized mice, and 4) TXBM mice further reconstituted with thymocytes (TXBMT mice).

The anti-hapten response to hapten-MSA conjugates of medium and high density were all found to be suppressed in TXBM mice, whereas in TXBMT mice it was fully reconstituted. Thus, the antibody response to hapten-MSA conjugates in the mouse is thymus-dependent regardless of hapten density.

Footnotes

¹ This work was supported by Statens Laegevidenskabelige forskningsråd (J.Nr. 512–1733), Copenhagen, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Karolinska Institutet, Swedish Cancer Society, and Anders Otto Swärds Stiftelse.

² Address correspondence to: B. Rubin, Bloodbank and Blood Grouping Department, Statens Seruminstitut, Copenhagen, Denmark.

³ Present address: The London Hospital Medical College, University of London, Transplantation Immunology Unit, Turner Street, London E1, England.