Delayed development of immunological responsiveness in neonatally thymectomized mice: a time-course study

Abstract

Haemolysin responses to first injection of sheep erythrocytes in neonatally thymectomized, neonatally sham-thymectomized and intact Swiss albino mice were tested when the mice were 10 days, 4 weeks, 6–7 weeks and 6 months of age. The serum haemolysin activity was assessed at a number of times after injection of antigen (time-course study). Neonatal thymectomy of Swiss mice was followed by a decreased and delayed haemolysin response. These abnormalities in antibody response following neonatal thymectomy became less obvious when the age at which the mice were injected was increased, indicating that delayed development of immunological responsiveness had occurred in neonatally thymectomized Swiss mice.