title: Relationship between non-antigen-specific immunodepression and persisting immune complexes induced by pertussis in mice.
abstract: A temporal relationship has been demonstrated between persisting immune complexes and non-antigen-specific immunodepression. Mice were given intraperitoneal injections of Bordetella pertussis at weekly intervals. After 7 weeks they developed circulating immune complexes, the levels of which increased with continued administration of pertussis. The increase in immune complex levels was accompanied by a diminished primary immune response to intraperitoneally injected sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) as judged by a reduction in their direct and indirect plaque-forming cell response and serum agglutination titres. Spleen cells from immunodepressed pertussis-treated mice were transferred to irradiated normal recipients and displayed a normal response to SRBC. By contrast, spleen cells transferred from normal donors to irradiated pertussis-treated recipients had an impaired response to SRBC. Thus, the immunodepression caused by pertussis treatment is a property of the environment and not the lymphocytes themselves. It is considered that chronic circulating immune complexes induced by pertussis administration may cause non-antigen-specific immunodepression.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grace
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: De Villiers
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Almond
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Elson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000032:analysis*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001886:Bordetella pertussis / Q000276:immunology*; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial