Antibody Response to Skin Allografts in Mice

Abstract

Summary

Antibody production in response to skin allografts in mice was studied with an isotopic antiglobulin technique. This technique has been shown to be sensitive and capable of detecting antibodies not demonstrable by the cytotoxicity technique. Antibodies were first found in most animals at 9–10 days after grafting, at the time of onset of graft rejection. Experiments were performed to determine whether antibodies were being formed earlier, but were absorbed in vivo by the grafts. When primary skin grafts were removed before rejection, antibodies were not detected earlier. Lower levels of antibodies occurred, indicating that continued presence of the alloantigens were important for maximal antibody production.