Reaginic antibody formation in the mouse. V. Adoptive antihapten IgE antibody response of dinitrophenyl keyhole limpet hemocyanin primed spleen cells cultured with dinitrophenyl heterologous carrier conjugates

DBA/1 mice were primed with dinitrophenyl keyhole lympet hemocyanin (DNP KLH) included in aluminum hydroxide gel, and the adoptive anti DNP IgE antibody response of their spleen cells was studied by transfer into irradiated syngeneic mice. As expected, depletion of T cells by anti theta antiserum and complement abolished the response of the spleen cells to homologous antigen. If the same T depleted spleen cells were cultured with DNP KLH for 24 hr and then transferred into irradiated mice, anti DNP IgE antibody response was obtained. It was also found that DNP KLH primed spleen cells were triggered for IgE antibody response if they were cultured for 24 to 48 hr with DNP heterologous carrier conjugate, such as DNP bovine γ globulin or a copolymer of D tyrosine, glutamine and lysine. Transfer of the cells cultured with the antigen into irradiated recipients resulted in the formation of anti DNP IgE antibody. The DNP KLH primed cells, cultured for 24 hr in the absence of antigen and then treated with DNP BGG at 0°C, also gave an adoptive IgE antibody response. If the same DNP KLH primed cells were treated with the DNP heterologous carrier conjugate at 0°C or injected into irradiated recipients together with the antigen, no IgE antibody response was obtained. The results indicated that T cell dependency of the IgE antibody response is diminished by culture of DNP KLH primed cells for 24 to 48 hr.