Effect of Adjuvants on the Immunosuppressive Properties of Antilymphocytic Globulin

Abstract

IN recent years we have been primarily concerned with investigating factors affecting the immunosuppressive properties of antilymphocytic antibody. Detailed studies on humoral systems in rats have indicated that effective immunosuppression is dependent on the intactness of the antilymphocytic IgG molecule, the time of its administration in relation to the antigen, the strain of rats used and the antigen under test¹. Because adjuvants are generally known to influence markedly the ontogeny of the humoral immune response, it seemed desirable to ascertain whether the ability of antilymphocytic antibody to suppress the humoral response (in this case, to bovine serum albumin) was also dependent on the adjuvant in which it was administered. These preliminary studies demonstrate that such a dependence exists.