Immunoregulation in humans: control of antitetanus toxoid antibody production after booster immunization

Booster immunization of normal individuals with soluble tetanus toxoid resulted in the ability of the individuals' peripheral blood lymphocytes to synthesize immunoglobulin (Ig)G antitetanus toxoid antibody in vitro when stimulated by pokeweed mitogen. The capacity for this in vitro antitetanus toxoid antibody response developed within 14 days after booster immunization, reached a peak between days 36--50, and disappeared by day 60. The inability of pokeweed mitogen to stimulate antitetanus toxoid antibody synthesis in vitro before booster immunization was not due to excess suppression by thymus-derived (T) lymphocytes but reflected insufficient numbers of functionally specific helper T lymphocytes and bone marrow-derived (B) lymphocytes. Antigen-specific T-lymphocyte suppression and decreased B-lymphocyte function were associated with the observed reduction of in vitro synthesis of antitetanus toxoid antibody from 20--60 days post-immunization. The in vitro kinetics of antitetanus toxoid antibody synthesis paralleled the synthesis of total IgG in that stimulation by pokeweed mitogen was required and that antibody secretion into the medium initiated by day 4 and increased through day 9.