Delayed Hypersensitivity

Abstract

I n the preceding paper, studies were reported in which guinea pigs with delayed hypersensitivity to protein antigens were injected by various routes with a desensitizing dose of specific antigen (1). Although such amounts of antigen sufficed to prevent subsequent delayed skin reactivity for several days, none of the highly sensitive animals showed obvious signs of distress following these injections. I n particular, there were no signs suggestive of the type of delayed shock seen in tuberculin-sensitive guinea pigs injected with a large amount of tuberculin (2), nor were there signs either of immediate or of protracted anaphylaxis.I n this paper a characteristic febrile response and several other features of the systemic reaction that follow specific challenge of guinea pigs with delayed hypersensitivity are described. This systemic reactivity has been compared to that which follows specific challenge of guinea pigs with passively acquired circulating antibody and the reactivity of animals with both delayed hypersensitivity and circulating antibody, passively or actively acquired. Materials and MethodsAntigens.---Ovalbumin (Ea), diphtheria toxoid (To), and horse gamma globulin (HGG) were the same materials used in the preceding study (1). Crystalfine bovine serum albumin (BSA) and bovine gamma globulin (BGG) were obtained from Armour, Inc. Antigens were dissolved in saline (0.85 per cent NaC1 in distilled water) except for BGG which was dissolved in saline buffered at pH 7.4. The protein content of the antigen solutions was calculated from the absorption at 277 ~ of aliquots diluted in 0.25 u acetic acid.Antisera.--Rabbit antitoxin, anti-ovalbumin, and anti-horse gamma globulin were the same as described in the preceding paper (1). The anti-bovine serum albumin was a pooled serum from two rabbits, each of which received a 4 week course of several intraderrnal and

The Passive Transfer of Sensitivity to Antigen-Induced Fever*

“…No evidence was obtained to indicate that delayed hypersensitivity played a significant role in this model although it should be noted that the rabbit is a difficult species in which to transfer delayed hypersensitivity passively. The possible importance of delayed hypersensitivity in other species is indicated by the studies of Uhr and Brandriss in the guinea pig (10). These authors were able to produce fever in guinea pigs sensitized with antigen-antibody precipitates 3 at a time when there was a high degree of delayed type of skin reactivity without demonstrable circulating antibody being present.…”

Cutaneous Basophil Hypersensitivity

“…Salvin (5) subsequently demonstrated similar sensitivity following intradermal injection of ovalbumin in Freund's incomplete adjuvant. These authors assumed that the observed delayed hypersensitivity was identical with classic tuberculin type hypersensitivity, and this assumption extended to later studies on desensitization (20) and systemic reactivity (21).…”

The association of fever and antibody response in rabbits immunized with human serum albumin.

“…Hall and Atkins, working with the same model system, observed that a state of lessened febrile reactivity (i.e., pyrogenic tolerance) resulted from frequently repeated injections of the antigen (15). Uhr and Brandriss, using guinea pigs sensitized to a variety of protein antigens, observed the development of fever when homologous antigen was readministered (16). Although not a part of this investigation, it is possible that the immunized animals would also have manifested delayed hypersensitivity, in addition to circulating antibody.…”