Secondary responses late in the course of immunization may be obtained with DNP conjugated to proteins different from that used for primary immunization. These responses are characterized by a modest increase in serum antibody concentration and by a large increase in affinity for hapten. On the other hand, secondary responses to the immunizing antigen involve a large increase in serum antibody concentration with little or no change in affinity. Secondary responses in rabbits immunized with type III pneumococci may be achieved with purified capsular polysaccharide but only very late in the course of immunization.

These results are discussed in terms of a thermodynamically driven selection of sub-populations of sensitive cells by antigen.

1

This study was supported by the United States Public Health Service Grants AI-02094, AI-03075 and AM-08805 and by the Health Research Council of the City of New York under Contracts I-138, I-140 and I-464. Computer facilities of the Department of Neurosurgery, Section on Communications Sciences supported by United States Public Health Service Research Grant (FR-00331-O1A1) were made use of during the course of this work.

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Copyright, 1967, by The Williams & Wilkins Company
Copyright © 1967 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.
1967
The Williams & Wilkins Company