Independent polygenic regulation of quantitative antibody responsiveness and expression of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH).

The intensity of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) expression measured by footpad swelling was established in high and low antibody responder lines of mice produced by bidirectional selective breeding for antibody responsiveness to different antigens. These lines of mice presented a very large difference in antibody response to the antigens used in each selective breeding (selection Ags) and to several other unrelated Ags (nonspecific effect). The intensity of DTH reactivity to selection Ags and to unrelated Ags differed in the various lines investigated, but the intensity of DTH reactions was not correlated with antibody responsiveness. The results of the present article demonstrated that the expression of DTH reactivity and antibody responsiveness to the same antigens are polygenic characters subject to independent quantitative regulation.