Immunologic "amnesia" of antibody-forming cells after RES blockade.

Abstract

SummaryCellular and humoral antibody formation was markedly inhibited in mice treated with colloidal carbon particles to blockade the reticuloendothelial system. Appearance of 19S IgM and 7S IgG hemolysin-forming cells was prevented when adult mice were treated with carbon prior to a single inoculation of sheep erythrocytes. Carbon treatment also reduced markedly the expected secondary immune response in mice primed several weeks previously with sheep red blood cells. Few antibody-forming cells, either IgG or IgM, and only low levels of serum hemolysins appeared in primed mice injected with carbon 1 to 4 days before a secondary immunization. Mice injected with carbon before the primary inoculation of antigen had normal 19S IgM antibody-plaque responses after a second injection of red blood cells 1 month later. However, there was a marked absence of 7S IgG antibody-forming cells. Also, there was little, if any, 2-mercaptoethenol-resistant antibody in the sera of these mice after booster immunization. The i...