Immune deviation: a historical perspective

In this paper I have reviewed my early studies, between 1966 and 1976, on the phenomenon of immune deviation. Initially summarized are experiments with different forms of the flagellin antigen from Salmonella adelaide which established the inverse relationship between delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) and antibody formation. Based on the flagellin studies, many of the key factors which determine whether an antigen will induce either DTH or antibody formation were delineated. These factors are just as relevant today as they were 25 years ago. Subsequent analyses at the cellular level demonstrated that different T cell subsets mediate DTH and T cell help and maintain immune deviation by suppressor mechanisms. A number of fundamental questions raised by this early work remain unanswered and are discussed. These include the nature of the primary signalling events which initiate immune deviation, the role of B cells in the deviating process and the mechanism by which CD8+T cells suppress antibody production.