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Biomedical subjects

W O WEIGLE

Publications and source records attributed to W O WEIGLE.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

The immune response of rabbits tolerant to bovine serum albumin to the injection of other heterologous serum albumins.

Immunological tolerance produced in rabbits by neonatal injections of BSA can be terminated by a series of injections of certain heterologous serum albumins which cross-react with BSA. Injections of albumins distantly related to BSA were more effective in terminating the tolerant state than injections of albumins closely related to BSA. It was concluded from results obtained with several heterologous albumins that immunological tolerance to BSA is directed to both the over-all antigenic or physical-chemical composition of the protein and the individual determinant groups present on the protein. Several possible mechanisms were given to explain the ability of cross-reacting albumins to terminate the tolerant state of BSA-tolerant rabbits. A possible relationship between the termination of tolerance in BSA-tolerant rabbits injected with cross-reacting albumins and autoimmunily was discussed. It was also suggested that the relative ease with which tolerance could be established to heterologous serum proteins in comparison to bacterial antigens is the result of the close serological and physical-chemical relationship of the heterologous serum proteins to the serum proteins of the rabbit. Rabbits injected with 500 mg of BSA during the first 5 days of life failed to form antibody capable of either eliciting an immune elimination of an injection of I* BSA given 3 to 4 months later or complexing with the circulating I* BSA.

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The role of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the initiation and cessation of the Arthus vasculitis.

The role of polymorphs in the Arthus type hypersensitivity vasculitis has been studied. Polymorphs were found to play an essential role in not only producing the inflammatory vasculitis, but also were instrumental in ridding the damaged vessel of the antigen, probably by means of proteolytic catabolism at the inflammatory site. A temporal relationship between the disappearance of antigen from the damaged vessels and a decrease in inflammatory reaction was found. The earliest localization of antigen and its associated rabbit globulin in the Arthus vasculitis was found to be beneath the endothelium of small vessels. Since submitting this article for publication, Sorkin and Boyden (J. Immunol., 1959, 82, 332) have reported the catabolism of antigen in the presence of antibody by mononuclear cells obtained from the peritoneal cavities of guinea pigs. Evidence was presented indicating that the antigen molecule was actually broken down by the mononuclear cells. Techniques similar to those reported here were used.

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The nature of the immunologic inadequacy of neonatal rabbits. II. Antibody formation by neonatal splenic cells transferred to adult recipients.

It has been shown that cells from neonatal rabbits are capable of producing considerable amounts of antibody after exposure to antigen in vitro and transfer to x-radiated adult recipients. This suggests that the immunological inadequacy of these neonates is not dependent primarily upon the lack of cells capable of antibody formation. Both in vitro sensitized neonatal lymphoid cells and in vivo sensitized adult lymphoid cells made much more antibody after transfer to x-rayed adult recipients than to neonatal recipients. Possible reasons for and significance of these observations are pointed out in the discussion.

Animals↗

The cutaneous reaction to soluble antigen-antibody complexes; a comparison with the Arthus phenomenon.

The in vivo activity of soluble antigen-antibody complexes was tested by a single intradermal injection in rabbits. Skin reactions were obtained marked by erythema, induration, and occasionally hemorrhage and necrosis. Microscopically, diffuse inflammation and occasional vascular necrosis could be found at all dosages. This indicates that soluble antigen-antibody complexes are phlogogenic and provides support for the suggestion that complexes are responsible for the lesions seen in serum sickness. The reactions were similar in severity to local passive Arthus (LPA) reactions at equal dosages of antibody in the dosage range studied. BSA antigen could be found in large concentrations in affected vessel walls of both reverse passive Arthus (RPA) and active or classical Arthus reactions. It is suggested that this predominantly vascular localization of antigen might bring about the relative severity of the RPA and active Arthus reactions, as contrasted to the complex and LPA reactions. The finding of affected vessels in the complex and LPA reactions containing little or no antigen and antibody, while these components were present in adjacent areas, suggests that the antigen-antibody combination may cause vascular reaction and damage by the release of physiologically active mediators from the tissue or tissue fluid.

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The nature of antigen-antibody complexes formed in rabbits during an immune response to bovine serum albumin.

The immune elimination of soluble BSA, following an intravenous injection, is accompanied by the appearance of circulating antigen-antibody complexes. The pattern of the appearance of circulating antigen-antibody complexes and the immune elimination of antigen probably depends on the amount of antigen injected, the rate of antibody synthesis, and perhaps, the quality of antibody produced. There is no relationship between the I* antigen-antibody complexes detected during the immune response in rabbits by ammonium sulfate precipitation and the material precipitated from immune sera as a result of treatment with alkali. Alkali-precipitable material present in the serum of rabbits at a time when I* antigen is also present contain at most only traces of the antigen.

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