The effects of nutritional rehabilitation on antibody production in protein-deficient mice.

The transfer of chronically protein-deficient mice to an optimal diet a few days before immunization with sheep erythrocytes, tetanus toxoid or Brucella abortus vaccine either failed to increase antibody production above the level produced by deficient mice, or suppressed the responses to below those produced by deficient mice or normally-fed controls. Transfer to high protein diet on the day of immunization or feeding deficient mice the normal diet for just 2 days at the time of injection produced higher titres than did transfer a few days before immunization. Secondary responses to TT were affected by transfer to the normal diet at priming, rather than at rechallenge. Some mechanisms which may explain these findings and their implications for immunization schedules in malnourished humans are discussed.