title: Immune response to the copolymer of L-glutamic acid50-L-tyrosine50 (GT): effect of adult thymectomy and genetic control of immune suppression.
abstract: The secondary antibody response to GT and GT-MBSA (GT coupled to methylated bovine serum albumin) and the ability to generate specific suppressor cells after GT preimmunization were examined in the auto-immune NZB strain and in normal and adult thymectomized C3H, BALB/c and CBA mice. As previously shown C3H, BALB/c and CBA mouse strains do not mount a secondary anti-GT antibody response after immunization with GT. On the contrary NZB mice where shown to develop a small but significant anti-GT antibody production. All the mice tested produced anti-GT antibodies after immunization with GT-MBSA. Adult thymectomy greatly decreased this anti-GT antibody response in BALB/c, C3H and CBA mice, suggesting the involvement of a short-lived T-cell subpopulation in the development of an optimal anti-GT-MBSA response. Preimmunization with GT suppressed the secondary antibody response to GT-MBSA in CBA and BALB/c mice but not in NZB and C3H mice, although all these strains bear the H-2-linked Is genes. This indicates an additional genetic control on the generation of GT-specific suppressor cells.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects*; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects*; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008814:Mice, Inbred NZB; D010455:Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011108:Polymers / Q000494:pharmacology; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013934:Thymectomy
chemical_list: D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D011108:Polymers; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; C027606:L-glutamic acid-L-tyrosine copolymer