Is Delayed Sensitivity a Preparation for Antibody Synthesis?

[摘要] Guinea pigs exhibiting delayed sensitivity to the azobenzenearsonate (ABA) hapten or the bovine serum albumin (BSA) carrier showed little evidence of an enhanced antibody response to the hapten when given a booster injection of ABA-BSA conjugate. Rabbits treated similarly did show some enhancement of antibody formation to the hapten. However, when delayed sensitivity to the hapten was present prior to the booster injection of ABA-BSA the ABA-specific antibody formed was mercaptoethanol-sensitive. Moreover, enhanced antibody formation to the carrier BSA was also found. These results do not lend weight to the suggestion that delayed sensitivity per se is preparation for an accelerated antibody response, but rather suggest that nonspecific enhancement of antibody production may be produced to all antigenic determinants present at the site of a delayed reaction.

[学科分类] 生物科学（综合）