The influence of Bordetella pertussis was tested, both at the cellular and humoral levels, when the bacterial adjuvant was administered 2 days before the secondary immunization of mice with 4 x 108 sheep erythrocytes. Under these experimental conditions, a significant suppression of the secondary response was induced, without influencing the process of priming for the tertiary immune response. From this it is suggested that B. pertussis cells act as non-specific proliferative stimuli, caused by the toxic damage of cells which are involved with the early steps of antibody formation.
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