Antigenic modulation of lymphocytic surface immunoglobulin yielding resistance to complement-mediated lysis. I. Characterization with syngeneic and xenogeneic complements.

Following previous authors, the term antigenic modulation is used to describe the induction, by antibody, of resistance to lysis by antibody plus complement. A report is given of the rapid antigenic modulation in vitro of surface immunoglobulin (Ig) on guinea-pig L2C leukaemic lymphocytes: incubation of the cells for 2 min or longer at 37 degrees with anti-Ig diminished or removed completely the lysis occurring during subsequent incubation with anti-Ig plus complement. The modulation was effective for both xenogeneic (rabbit) and syngeneic (guinea-pig strain 2) complements, but more rapid for the latter. It appeared simply to require the action of antibody on a metabolically active cell: no requirement could be demonstrated for any serum component other than antibody, and there was a need to raise the temperature to 37 degrees after attachment of the antibody. There was molecular specificity inasmuch as modulation with anti-Ig failed to confer any resistance to lysis by another antibody (anti-Ia) plus complement.