State Of Immunological Tolerance Research Articles

Congenital rubella. Clinicopathologic, virologic, and immunologic studies.

WHEN maternal rubella occurs during the first trimester of pregnancy, rubella virus can be detected in products of conception, in the fetus throughout pregnancy, and in the infant for several months after birth. 1 Further, sera from children with the congenital rubella syndrome have been found to contain rubella neutralizing antibody in high titers. 2 Although these data clearly show that a state of immunologic tolerance does not exist, it is not known if the elevated levels of neutralizing antibody in the younger infant represent de novo synthesis of antibody by the infant or the transplacental transfer of maternal antibody. Following epidemic rubella occurring in the United States during the winter and spring of 1964, congenital rubella was observed in several centers. The neonatal syndrome consists of congenital heart disease, cataracts, hepatosplenomegaly, and thrombocytopenic purpura. It is the purpose of this report to present the significant clinical, hematologic, virologic, pathologic,

The creation of immunological tolerance in adult animals

Experiments were staged for the evolvement of immunogical tolerance in adult rabbits with the aid of 6-mercaptopurine. After the administration of human serum albumin together with antimetabolite to rabbits, the animals formed no antibodies in response to subsequent albumin injection. This stage of tolerance continued for a period of not more than 4 months. In analogous experiments with human erythrocytes of the group IV blood group and with soluble antigens, isolated from the rat organs, no state of immunological tolerance was achieved, notwithstanding complete depression of antibody formation during primary administration of these antigens together with 6-mercaptopurine. In repeated administration of soluble antigens of rat organs, the antibodies evidently developed only to some of these antigens.