Polymorphism of T- and B-cell sensitization by aggregate-freed heterologous gamma-globulin.

Female A/J, C57BL/6J, SJL/J, MRL/MpJ-+/+, MRL/MpJ-lpr/lpr, NZB/BINJ and male BXSB/MpJ mice were injected at various ages with a tolerogenic form of rabbit gamma-globulin, or were left untreated and all were then immunized with dinitrophenylated rabbit gamma-globulin. We could distinguish 4 types of responsiveness to sRGG: (1) persistent T-cell tolerance (A/J, MRL/MpJ-+/+); (2) persistent T-cell tolerance and age-dependent resistance and sensitization of B-cells to tolerance induction (C57BL/6J, NZB/BINJ); (3) decreasing T- and B-cell tolerance (SJL/J, male BXSB/MpJ); and (4) T-cell sensitization in older animals (MRL/MpJ-lpr/lpr). Suppressor capacity and its regeneration was examined in terms of colchicine and cyclophosphamide treatment. Colchicine increased the immune response to a much greater extent in 10-week-old than in 6-week-old MRL/MpJ-lpr/lpr mice and had little effect on MRL/MpJ-+/+ mice. It had a relatively small effect on 15-week-old NZB/B1NJ and a much greater effect on 6-week-old animals. The reason for these differences are discussed.