[Role of the erythrocytes in transplantation immunity reactions]

Morphological, immunological, and radiometric studies showed antigen adsorption on red blood cells to be a mandatory step in the development of immune response. A certain dynamics of antigen retention on the red blood cell surface was established. It was observed that at 4-7 days after antigen inoculation its fraction adsorbed on erythrocytes was markedly reduced which coincided with the period of clinical manifestation of the immune response. This was coupled with changes in the physico-chemical properties and structure of red blood cell membrane. The amount of the antigenic material transferred on the membranes of all erythrocyte mass exceeds considerably the total antigenic charge on lymphocytes. This phenomenon appears to prevent simultaneous entrance of all the antigenic mass into immunogenesis organs and in this way to regulate the intensity and time of development of immune response.