DYNAMICS OF I-125 LABELED HORSE SERUM-ALBUMIN PRESENTATION INVIVO IN GUINEA-PIGS

Low antibody production in guinea-pig sera was determined by passive hemagglutination after I-125-labelled horse serum albumin (HoSA) injection. The appearance of radiolabelled HoSA on T cells, B cells and monocytes/macrophages (Mo) of guinea pigs was detected and followed as a function of time. The radioactivity peaks appeared first on B cells and Mo, later on the T cells. The circulating T lymphocytes contained labelled antigen 7 days after the injection while T and B lymphocytes in the spleen preserved their radioactivity 15 and 20 days later. Helper, suppressor and effector T cells were able to fix I-125-HoSA, this was shown by autoradiography using monoclonal antibodies 4 days following the antigen injection.