Effect of Preimmunization with Native and Methylated Carrier on Class‐Specific Anti‐Hapten and Anti‐Carrier Antibody Response

Abstract

Effects of priming with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and methylated BSA (MBSA) on the primary anti-2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP) response were studied in the chicken. A new radioimmunoassay of class-specific antibodies (RIACA) was used to quantitate IgM and IgG antibodies against BSA and DNP. The anti-DNP antibody response after priming with BSA was dose-dependent: large doses of BSA suppressed and the smallest dose augmented it. In contrast, no dose dependence was observed between MBSA and the anti-hapten response. All doses of MBSA enhanced the primary anti-DNP antibody response of both immunoglobulin classes. No corresponding differences in anti-BSA antibodies were observed between BSA- and MBSA-primed groups. This suggests that the anticarrier antibodies as such are not the agent suppressing the anti-hapten response when large doses of native carrier are used for priming. A more probable explanation of this phenomenon is a competition between carrier-specific B cells and hapten-specific B cells for common T cells. A less obvious explanation is the generation of more helper cells or less suppressor cells when priming with MBSA than with BSA.