[Animal experimental studies on the increase in the humoral immune response caused by whole body irradiation]

The production of antibodies against heterologous erythrocytes (sheep erythrocytes) can be significantly increased in mice and rats by total body irradiation. This effect depends upon the radiation dose applied and can be demonstrated only in animals immunized first and then irradiated at intervals of six hours. In vitro assays show indirectly that the radiogenic immune stimulation is caused by the varying radiosensitivity of the individual cell populations involved in the humoral immune reaction, leading to a relatively selective inactivation of T-suppressor cells.