Hapten-Specific IgE Antibody Responses in Mice: III. Establishment of Parameters for Generation of Helper T Cell Function Regulating the Primary and Secondary Responses of IgE and IgG B Lymphocytes¹

The present study was undertaken to carry out a detailed comparative analysis of the parameters most conducive to generation in inbred mice of antibody responses of the IgG vs IgE class, and more specifically, helper T cell function participating in antibody responses of these two classes. The data presented in this paper demonstrate the complex factors, i.e., the immunogenic strength, dose of antigen, and the nature of adjuvant vehicle employed for immunization, which determine the magnitude of helper function generated for either one or the other (or both) antibody classes. Although immunization regimens may be defined which result in some dissociation of IgE and IgG antibody responses, the overall impact of the evidence obtained indicates that the existence of distinct T cells for the regulation of these responses will be most difficult to demonstrate directly in the context of the numerous factors contributing to the generation of helper functions. Moreover, such a conclusion must be viewed with considerable caution since the data can equally be explained by differences in sensitivity of IgE and IgG B cells to the effects of the same activated T cells.