Effects of whole-body irradiation on antibody affinity

Mice exposed to a sublethal dose of X-rays were immunized with alum-precipitated DNP-KLH (dinitrophenyl-keyhole limpet haemocyanin) and B. pertussis either before or after irradiation. The primary anti-DNP antibody response was evaluated during 8 weeks after immunization by the equilibrium dialysis technique using ammonium sulphate- precipitated serum globulins and the ligand 3H-labelled xi-DNP-L-Lysine. The serum concentrations of antibody sites in mice immunized 1-5 days before or 2 h-8 weeks after 450 rad were below the values in unirradiated controls at all bleeding times. Antibody affinity, however, was found to be up to 20 fold higher in irradiated mice than in control mice when antigen was injected before, or 3-8 weeks after, irradiation. Spleen cells from mice exposed to 450 rad 1-9 weeks before killing were stimulated in vitro with PHA, ConA, or LPS. Recovery profiles of mitotic responsiveness suggest that enhancement of antibody affinity in irradiated mice could result from relative lack of suppressor T Cells.