title: Effect of epitope density on the induction of the IgE immune response in mice.
abstract: The effect of hapten density on benzylpenicilloyl (BPO)-protein conjugates upon the induction of BPO-specific IgE immune response was investigated in BALB/c and C3H mice. Bovine gamma-globulin (BGG) and ovalbumin (OA) were employed as carrier proteins. In both strains of mice, moderately substituted conjugates (BPO19-BGG, and BPO-OA with an epitope density from 2 to 7.5) elicited a persistent BPO-specific IgE, while heavily substituted conjugates (BPO38-BGG) induced only a transient response. In contrast, lightly substituted conjugates (BPO3.2-, BPO9.5-BGG, and BPO1-OA) failed to produce BPO-specific IgE antibodies. There was no significant difference in carrier-specific IgE immune response among these various conjugates. These results suggest that moderately substituted hapten-protein conjugates are one of the favorable conditions for eliciting hapten-specific IgE immune response in mice.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D002417:Cattle; D005260:Female; D006241:Haptens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D010400:Penicillin G / Q000276:immunology; D005719:gamma-Globulins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006241:Haptens; D005719:gamma-Globulins; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D010047:Ovalbumin; D010400:Penicillin G