The effect of prenatal or early postnatal irradiation on the production of anti-arsonate antibodies and cross-reactive idiotypes.
Preliminary studies on the long-term effects of prenatal and early postnatal irradiation on the immune response to arsonate were performed using A/J mice. Pregnant mice were irradiated (0.5 Gy, X-rays) or sham-irradiated on a single occasion during gestation (between day 5 and 18 post-conception). Alternatively, newborn mice received the same treatment between day 2 and 7 after birth. Mice were immunized with keyhole limpet haemocyanin-arsonate (KLH-Ars) in adjuvant from 2 months after birth. The levels of specific antibodies to arsonate (anti-Ars) were measured by radioimmunoassay. In addition, the Ars-related cross-reactive idiotype (CRIA) was measured by the haemagglutination technique. In the primary response the titre of anti-Ars was reduced in animals that had been irradiated between day 12 and 15 of gestation. In the second response, in contrast, they had increased levels of anti-Ars. After immunization with KLH-Ars, high levels of CRIA were observed in all groups. However, in mice irradiated 18-20 days after conception the level of CRIA was often much higher than the level of anti-Ars, indicating that a large proportion of the CRIA-positive molecules were not specific for Ars. Thus, in this particular case, some specificity of the immune response was lost after irradiation. The expression of recurrent idiotypes may be a sensitive indicator of immunological perturbations after irradiation.
Hooghe
R J
RJ
Biology Department, Study Center for Nuclear Energy (SCK), Mol, Belgium.
Maisin
J R
JR
Vander Plaetse
F
F
Urbain
J
J
Urbain-Vansanten
G
G
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000528:radiation effects; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000528:radiation effects*; D001151:Arsenic / Q000276:immunology*; D001152:Arsenicals; D003429:Cross Reactions; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D007107:Immune System / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects; D007114:Immunization; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008805:Mice, Inbred A; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
D001152:Arsenicals; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes; C054806:arsonic acid; D001151:Arsenic