Modification of fetal immune system by maternal anti-DNA antibody. I. Enhanced immune response to DNA in the mice exposed to anti-DNA antibody early in life.

The offspring mice of C3H/He strain whose mothers had been immunized with DNA or passively administered anti-DNA antibody showed enhanced ability to respond to DNA stimulation (3-fold increase in the amount of serum anti-DNA antibody and in the number of anti-DNA antibody-forming cells). The acquisition of the enhanced immune responsiveness to DNA in the offspring was most likely mediated by passively transmitted maternal antibody, not by such other factors as concomitantly transmitted antigen, carrier protein, and adjuvant. The effect of maternal antibody to carrier protein and the possible involvement of maternal lymphocytes transmitted to the progeny were also excluded. This phenomenon was observed in the mice after the transmitted antibody had been removed from them, distinguishing the effect of antibody in fetal and/or neonatal period from the regulatory effect of antibody in adult animals. The effect of maternal antibody was antigen specific. Maternal antibody might in some way modify the clonal development of fetal immune-responding cells.