Depression of the Primary Immune Response by dl-Penicillamine.

Abstract

SummaryTreatment of mice with dipenicillamine for 3 weeks before antigen injection resulted in an overall reduction in antibody formation while treatment immediately after antigen injection for 8 consecutive days had no effect. In those groups showing depression of antibody response, the formation of both the 19S and 7S antibody was reduced, the latter type also showing a delay in appearance but subsequently reaching levels comparable to those seen in normal animals. Administration of penicillamine intravenously to animals having only 19S antibody in the serum resulted in an immediate but transient reduction of antibody titer. This observation, along with that showing failure of penicillamine to affect the formation of both 19S and 7S antibody when given after antigen injection, suggests that the depressive effect is primarily at the cellular level of the immunologic process rather than through an intravascular dissociation process.