Hapten-specific carrier-dependent tolerance induction in man in vitro.
We sought to determine whether hapten-specific tolerance can be induced in cultured human lymphocytes in vitro. Unfractionated as well as T and B cells from peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy human volunteers were cultured with different hapten-carrier conjugates before in vitro challenge with dinitrophenyl (DNP) linked to keyhole limpet hemocyanin. Hapten-specific antibody was detected in the supernatant by solid-phase radioimmunoassay. Both hapten specificity and carrier dependence in addition to the cellular basis of tolerance induction were examined. The results show that hapten-specific tolerance of antibody production was induced by human gamma-globulin (HGG) conjugated to DNP but not by other conjugates of DNP nonhuman gamma-globulin, as well as human serum albumin. Moreover, both T and B cells are involved in tolerance induction to DNP-HGG in vitro. The significance of tolerance in human in vitro for the specific therapy of autoimmune disease is discussed.
D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D004136:Dinitrobenzenes / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes; D006241:Haptens / Q000276:immunology*; D006433:Hemocyanins; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000502:physiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005719:gamma-Globulins / Q000276:immunology
D000941:Antigens; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004136:Dinitrobenzenes; D000939:Epitopes; D006241:Haptens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D005719:gamma-Globulins; D006433:Hemocyanins; C032808:keyhole-limpet hemocyanin