Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1979 Jul;25(1):133–138. doi: 10.1128/iai.25.1.133-138.1979

Aberrant secondary antibody responses to sheep erythrocytes in rabbits with experimental syphilis.

R E Baughn, D M Musher
PMCID: PMC443566  PMID: 157977

Abstract

Rabbits infected with Treponema pallidum have strikingly depressed in vivo immunoglobulin G responses to sheep erythrocytes. To gain further insight into the nature of this suppression, the immune responses of splenic and peripheral blood lymphocytes from infected rabbits to sheep erythrocytes were studied in vitro. Spleen cells from rabbits that had been sensitized with sheep erythrocytes during active syphilis had greatly decreased immunoglobulin M and G responses after in vitro incubation with sheep erythrocytes, when compared to the results obtained with cells from sensitized uninfected animals. Suppressor cells could be demonstrated in peripheral blood lymphocytes of control rabbits 6 months after sensitization with sheep erythrocytes; these cells could be removed by nylon wool filtration. When primary sensitization with sheep erythrocytes was carried out during active syphilis, these suppressor cells were not detectable in peripheral blood lymphocytes 6 to 9 months later. These findings provide further evidence that induction of immune responses may be abnormal early in treponemal infection and may help to explain the failure of the host to produce antibodies which eradicate the organism during the first 2 to 3 months of infection.

Full text

PDF
137

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Askonas B. A., McMichael A. J., Roux M. E. Clonal dominance and the preservation of clonal memory cells mediated by antigen-antibody. Immunology. 1976 Oct;31(4):541–551. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Baughn R. E., Musher D. M. Altered immune responsiveness associated with experimental syphilis in the rabbit: elevated IgM and depressed IgG responses to sheep erythrocytes. J Immunol. 1978 May;120(5):1691–1695. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Baughn R. E., Musher D. M., Knox J. M. Effect of sensitization with Propionibacterium acnes on the growth of Listeria monocytogenes and Treponema pallidum in rabbits. J Immunol. 1977 Jan;118(1):109–113. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Diener E., Feldmann M. Relationship between antigen and antibody-induced suppression of immunity. Transplant Rev. 1972;8:76–103. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1972.tb01565.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. EISEN H. N., KARUSH F. IMMUNE TOLERANCE AND AN EXTRACELLULAR REGULATORY ROLE FOR BIVALENT ANTIBODY. Nature. 1964 May 16;202:677–682. doi: 10.1038/202677a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Faubert G. M. Depression of the plaque-forming cells to sheep red blood cells by the new-born larvae of Trichinella spiralis. Immunology. 1976 Apr;30(4):485–489. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Fitzgerald T. J., Johnson R. C., Wolff E. T. Mucopolysaccharide material resulting from the interaction of Treponema pallidum (Nichols strain) with cultured mammalian cells. Infect Immun. 1978 Nov;22(2):575–584. doi: 10.1128/iai.22.2.575-584.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hay F. C., Nineham L. J., Roitt I. M. Routine assay for the detection of immune complexes of known immunoglobulin class using solid phase C1q. Clin Exp Immunol. 1976 Jun;24(3):396–400. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hudson K. M., Byner C., Freeman J., Terry R. J. Immunodepression, high IgM levels and evasion of the immune response in murine trypanosomiasis. Nature. 1976 Nov 18;264(5583):256–258. doi: 10.1038/264256a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Jerne N. K., Nordin A. A. Plaque Formation in Agar by Single Antibody-Producing Cells. Science. 1963 Apr 26;140(3565):405–405. doi: 10.1126/science.140.3565.405. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kontiainen S. Blocking antigen-antibody complexes on the T-lymphocye surface identified with defined protein antigens. II. Lymphocyte activation during the in vitro response. Immunology. 1975 Mar;28(3):535–542. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kontiainen S., Mitchison N. A. Blocking antigen-antibody complexes on the T-lymphocyte activation during in vitro incubation before adoptive transfer. Immunology. 1975 Mar;28(3):523–533. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Luzzati A. L., Lafleur L. Suppressor cells in rabbit peripheral blood. Eur J Immunol. 1976 Feb;6(2):125–129. doi: 10.1002/eji.1830060211. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lysko P. G., Cox C. D. Terminal electron transport in Treponema pallidum. Infect Immun. 1977 Jun;16(3):885–890. doi: 10.1128/iai.16.3.885-890.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Morgan E. L., Tempelis C. H. The role of antigen-antibody complexes in mediating immunologic unresponsiveness in the chicken. J Immunol. 1977 Oct;119(4):1293–1298. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Murray P. K., Jennings F. W., Murray M., Urquhart G. M. The nature of immunosuppression in Trypanosoma brucei infections in mice. II. The role of the T and B lymphocytes. Immunology. 1974 Nov;27(5):825–840. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Pavia C. S., Folds J. D., Baseman J. B. Development of of macrophage migration inhibition in rabbits infected with virulent Treponema pallidum. Infect Immun. 1977 Sep;17(3):651–654. doi: 10.1128/iai.17.3.651-654.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Rabinovitch M., Manejias R. E., Nussenzweig V. Selective phagocytic paralysis induced by immobilized immune complexes. J Exp Med. 1975 Oct 1;142(4):827–838. doi: 10.1084/jem.142.4.827. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Ryan J. L., Arbeit R. D., Dickler H. B., Henkart P. A. Inhibition of lymphocyte mitogenesis by immobilized antigen-antibody complexes. J Exp Med. 1975 Oct 1;142(4):814–826. doi: 10.1084/jem.142.4.814. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. SELL S., GELL P. G. STUDIES ON RABBIT LYMPHOCYTES IN VITRO. I. STIMULATION OF BLAST TRANSFORMATION WITH AN ANTIALLOTYPE SERUM. J Exp Med. 1965 Aug 1;122:423–440. doi: 10.1084/jem.122.2.423. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Scott D. W., Waksman B. H. Mechanism of immunologic tolerance. I. Induction of tolerance to bovine gamma-globulin by injection of antigen into intact organs in vitro. J Immunol. 1969 Feb;102(2):347–354. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Sidman C. L., Unanue E. R. Control of B-lymphocyte function. I. Inactivation of mitogenesis by interactions with surface immunoglobulin and Fc-receptor molecules. J Exp Med. 1976 Oct 1;144(4):882–896. doi: 10.1084/jem.144.4.882. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. THIVOLET J., SIMERAY A., ROLLAND M., CHALLUT F. Etude de l'intradermoréaction aux suspensions de Tréponèmes formolées souche Nichols pathogène chez les syphilitiques et les sujets normaux. Ann Inst Pasteur (Paris) 1953 Jul;85(1):23–33. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Theis G. A., Thorbecke G. J. The proliferative and anamnestic antibody response of rabbit lymphoid cells in vitro. II. Requirement for adherent and nonadherent cells of the responses to particulate antigens in spleen cell cultures. J Exp Med. 1970 May 1;131(5):970–980. doi: 10.1084/jem.131.5.970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Theofilopoulos A. N., Wilson C. B., Bokisch V. A., Dixon F. J. Binding of soluble immune complexes to human lymphoblastoid cells. II. Use of Raji cells to detect circulating immune complexes in animal and human sera. J Exp Med. 1974 Nov 1;140(5):1230–1244. doi: 10.1084/jem.140.5.1230. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Unanue E. R., Perkins W. D., Karnovsky M. J. Ligand-induced movement of lymphocyte membrane macromolecules. I. Analysis by immunofluorescence and ultrastructural radioautography. J Exp Med. 1972 Oct 1;136(4):885–906. doi: 10.1084/jem.136.4.885. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Watson S. R., Sljivić V. S., Brown I. N. Defect of macrophage function in the antibody response to sheep erythrocytes in systemic Mycobacterium lepraemurium infection. Nature. 1975 Jul 17;256(5514):206–208. doi: 10.1038/256206b0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Wicher V., Wicher K. Cell response in rabbits infected with T. pallidum as measured by the leucocyte migration inhibition test. Br J Vener Dis. 1975 Aug;51(4):240–245. doi: 10.1136/sti.51.4.240. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Wright D. J., Grimble A. S. Why is the infectious stage of syphilis prolonged? Br J Vener Dis. 1974 Feb;50(1):45–49. doi: 10.1136/sti.50.1.45. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES