Persistence of immunogenicity of two complex antigens retained in vivo

Abstract

The persistence of immunogenicity of lipopolysaccharide antigens of E. coli and of sheep red blood cells in the mouse was studied by a transfer system. Immunized mice were lethally irradiated and re-populated with non-immune syngeneic lymphoid and bone marrow cells at different times after immunization. Persistence of immunogenicity in the irradiated hosts was revealed as the induction of a primary immune response in the transferred cells. In this system SRBC persisted in an immunogenic form for 14 days whereas the bacterial antigens remained immunogenic for at least 45 days.