Competition of antigens during induction of low zone tolerance.

Abstract

AbstractInduction of low zone tolerance in mice after injection of either ultracen‐trifuged BGG or low doses of BSA was accompanied by competition of these antigens with immunization to the unrelated antigen OVA, although this competitive effect was less and of shorter duration as compared to the inhibitory effect observed during induction of high zone tolerance with either pneumococcal S III polysaccharide or high doses of BSA. Conversely, medium immunizing doses of BSA resulted in hyperimmunization to both BSA and the test antigen OVA.These results suggest that tolerance is induced through the same mechanism in the low as in the high zone of antigen dosage. A scheme is proposed in order to explain the induction of low and high zone tolerance which postulates that a characteristic quantitative antigen‐to‐cell ratio determines the induction of either tolerance or immunization.