Specific suppression of the antibody response in vitro by serum from paralyzed mice.

BALB/c mice immunized with either the whole vaccine or the C-polysaccharide obtained from the R36A strain of pneumococcus produce antibody to phosphorylcholine. Mice injected i.v. with a single high dose of the C-polysaccharide are specifically unresponsive to immunization to phosphorylcholine for many months and are considered paralyzed. The induction of paralysis does not eliminate cells reactive to phosphorylcholine; however, serum from paralyzed mice specifically suppresses the response of cultures of normal spleen cells to phosphorylcholine. Paralyzed mice have an early low antibody response to phosphorylcholine and to the receptor for phosphorylcholine as indicated by plaque-forming cell assays. The factor or factors present in serum which may suppress cultures, and, by presumption, be responsible for paralysis are complexes of antigen, antibody, and antibody to the receptor for phosphorylcholine.