Dependence of the number of antibody-forming cells in the spleen of rats immunized with typhoid antigen Salmonella typhi on the number of cells spontaneously producing antibodies against this antigen

Abstract

It was shown by the method of local passive hemolysis in gel that the number of antibody-forming cells (AFC) in the spleen of five batches of rats obtained at different times from the nursery correlates after immunization withSalmonella typhi O antigen with the number of spontaneous AFC against that same antigen in animals of the same batch. This may indicate that the number of spontaneous AFC reflects the number of B lymphocytes immunocompetent toward the particular antigen and that it can be used to some degree to assess immunologic reactivity to that antigen before immunization.