Specificity of helper T cells for different antigens.
BALB/c nude mice have been injected with 10(6) congenic thymus cells, a number which allows some, but not all mice to respond to any particular T-dependent antigen. These mice have been tested for their ability to respond to three bacteriophages, T4, T7 and phiX, sheep and horse erythrocytes, and alloantigens of C3H and C57BL/6 mice. The number of mice able to respond to each of these antigens was of the same order of magnitude. Sheep and horse erythrocytes showed cross-reactivity at the T cell level, i.e. the responses to these two antigens were not independent. The same was observed for C3H and C57BL/6. Otherwise, the responses were independent showing that the antigens are recognize by different populations of specific helper T cells.
D000818:Animals; D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity; D003090:Coliphages / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology; D006736:Horses; D008211:Lymphocyte Cooperation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008819:Mice, Nude; D012756:Sheep; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D000939:Epitopes