title: Hapten-specific tolerance. Preferential depression of the high affinity antibody response.
abstract: The induction of tolerance in guinea pigs with a 2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP) derivative of a copolymer of copolymer of D-glutamic acid and D-lysine (D-GL) leads to a preferential depression of the capacity to produce high affinity anti-DNP antibody in response to immunization with DNP-guinea pig albumin. Thus, immunization 2 wk after tolerance induction with 3 mg of DNP-D-GL results in an immune response in which individual plaque-forming cells (PFC) secreting high affinity anti-DNP antibody are absent and in which the affinity of circulating anti-DNP antibody is reduced. A similar, but less marked, suppression is seen when 0.3 mg of DNP-D-GL is used for tolerance induction. If immunization is delayed until 2 months after tolerance induction, then suppression is restricted to the highest avidity PFC group. Our data is consistent with a state of tolerance in the pool of precursors of anti-DNP antibody-secreting cells induced as a result of their interaction with DNP-D-GL in the absence of specific "helper" cells, which appear to be lacking for DNP-D-GL. In such a situation, the affinity of receptors on precursor cells for tolerogen and the concentration of tolerogen appear to be crucial determinants of whether an individual cell will become tolerant.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells; D004140:Dinitrophenols; D005971:Glutamates; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006241:Haptens; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D008239:Lysine; D012709:Serum Albumin
chemical_list: D004140:Dinitrophenols; D005971:Glutamates; D006241:Haptens; D012709:Serum Albumin; D008239:Lysine