Impairment of the thymus-dependent humoral immune response by syngeneic or allogeneic pregnancy.
Pregnancy results in a diminished capacity of the gravid mouse to respond to thymus-dependent antigens. The IgM response to thymus dependent and independent antigens is relatively unaltered whereas the IgG response to thymus-dependent antigens is markedly suppressed in both syngeneic and allogeneic pregnancy. The impairment of the humoral immune response is not due to loss of antibody-forming precursor lymphocytes (AFPL) from the spleen since their number remains unaltered. During pregnancy the spleen becomes enlarged and the precursor frequency is diluted somewhat but the AFPLs retain their normal activity in vitro. This implies an alteration in their amplification by accessory cells (T cells or macrophages) is responsible for the impaired IgG responses.
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000941:Antigens / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002417:Cattle; D005260:Female; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL / Q000235:genetics*; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal; D012756:Sheep; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014301:Trinitrobenzenes / Q000276:immunology; D005719:gamma-Globulins / Q000276:immunology
D000941:Antigens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D014301:Trinitrobenzenes; D005719:gamma-Globulins