Abstract
The influence of cortisone administration on either the induction or the duration of immunologic tolerance was examined in vivo. Tolerance induced by isologous IgG coupled to fluorescein was chosen because the hapten-bearing cell can be directly visualized and the hapten-specific immune response to either a TD antigen or a TI 2 antigen can be tested. It was found that cortisone facilitates the maintenance of tolerance, but fails to affect its induction to either class of antigen. Fluorescein-IgG-bearing cells are cortisone resistant. They are seen for a longer period of time in animals treated with cortisone and tolerogen than in animals treated with tolerogen, and fluorescent cells are either T or B cells. We propose that cortisone facilitates the maintenance of tolerance by maintaining a receptor blockade in vivo. This finding might have clinical implications for the treatment of autoimmunity.
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