Can B-cell Tolerance Be Induced by Oligovalent Thymus Dependent Antigens?

Spleen cells from adult mice were rendered "tolerant" to TNP by exposing cells in vitro to large concentrations of TNP10BSA. After such treatment the residual response to TNP was measured using TNP-LPS as antigen in vitro or in vivo. The "tolerance" observed in this system was not reversed by treating the cells with trypsin, nor by using non-specific polyclonal activators. Furthermore, responsiveness to TNP-LPS in vitro was not substantially restored when such "tolerant" cells were "parked" in vivo for 7 days. In contrast when TNP-KLH was the antigen used to challenge TNP-BSA treated cells, no unresponsiveness was observed. The results are discussed in terms of the degree of thymus dependence of the challenge antigens; subpopulations of B cells, and current hypotheses of B-cell activation;