[Experimental study of the regularity of T-killer induction as a result of anti-rabies immunization]

Experiments in CBA, mice immunized with inactivated unconcentrated cultural rabies vaccine (CRV) demonstrated that a clone of T-effectors of memory was formed within 30-37 days after primary immunization which reacted by the secondary type in response to inoculation of subthreshold doses of the rabies antigen. This clone of immunological memory seems to remain in the quiescent state for very long periods (the observation period 406 days). The immune splenocytes from the donors which had been given subthreshold doses of the antigen at intervals of 60, 103, 180 and 406 days, protected 2-4 times more animals than those after primary immunization with a threshold dose of the antigen. A continuous state of cell-mediated immunity--T-effectors processing the protective properties in vivo--may be maintained by repeated threshold doses of antigen given at 7-day intervals. The observed patterns of the induction of T-effectors possessing protective properties in vivo allowed some principles for construction of the optimal schedule of rabies vaccination to be formulated.