Demonstration of long-lived memory T suppressor cells in the IgE response

Administration to mice of repeated small doses of glutaraldehyde-polymerized ovalbumin (OA-POL) results in drastic suppression of the IgE antibody response. The high anamnestic IgE antibody responses usually obtained after 2 injections of native OA in alum were completely abrogated when OA-POL was administered between the 2 immunizations. Treatment with OA-POL prior to a primary immunization with 2 micrograms DNP-OA in alum induced a profound suppression of both anti-DNP and anticarrier IgE responses. The suppression, which was detectable for at least 7 months, was antigen-specific, selective for the IgE class and was sensitive to treatment of spleen cells with anti-Thy-1.2 antibody and complement. Adoptive transfer of spleen cells from donors treated with OA-POL 200 days, 16 days or 200 and 16 days prior to transfer, resulted in different kinetics of suppression in the recipient. The results are consistent with the presence of long-lived IgE-selective T suppressor cell memory. The possibility that separate Ts and Ts memory cell populations are generated is discussed.