Cellular and serum immune response to dinitrophenol in adult Rana pipiens

A rabbit anti-Rana anti-DNP antiserum was used in order to estimate changes in frequency of bone marrow (BM) cells containing cytoplasmic anti-DNP antibodies (cId+) for eight weeks following a single injection. We found that (i) cId+ cells increased from 0.2 to 4.3 percent of total mononuclear cells (MNC's) during the first 8 weeks, (ii) BM granulocytes increased in frequency up to week 2, then gradually decreased to week 8, and (iii) serum anti-DNP antibody levels, evaluated by ELISA, increased to week 8. Our observations (i) support those which suggest that Rana BM resembles mammaliam BM as a source of antibody-producing cells, (ii) indicate that specific immune responses in BM may result in a 20-fold increase in the frequency of antigen-related plasma cells among total MNC's, and (iii) suggest that BM B cell clonal expansion, maturation and secretion may result in an increase in specific antibody levels in serum.