The fine specificity of tolerance to simple haptens (nucleosides and DNP) : induction of immunologic tolerance to one ligand may prime the animal to an analogous ligand
Mantzouranis, E.C.; Stollar, B.D.; Borel, Y.
Journal of Immunology 124(5): 2474-2480
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-1767 PMID: 6154105 Document Number: 163634
The fine specificity of immunologic tolerance was further studied in a murine experimental model in which cross-tolerance among several analogous ligands was examined. There was no cross-immunity detectable by direct plaque-forming cells (PFC) in the primary response or by indirect PFC in the secondary response among adenosine, guanosine, 7-methylguanosine and dinitrophenyl. Each ligand was tolerogenic to itself but not to other ligands. There was no cross-tolerance among these ligands except in 1 instance. Paradoxically, induction of tolerance to 1 antigenic determinant may increase antibody formation to another closely related ligand. This was observed in the primary and secondary responses. The specificity of the antibody-forming cells was directed only to the immunogen and not to the tolerogen, demonstrating that priming to a like ligand could occur. Priming by tolerogen occurred after challenge with T cell level. In addition, they show that ligands that are readily tolerogenic to themselves could act as immunogens to a closely related ligand that the animal has not seen. The implication of these observations for the mechanisms of tolerance and immunity in terms of specificity of antigen recognition of T and B cells is discussed.