Immune response in guinea pigs to two different lipid conjugates of bovine serum albumin.

A lipid conjugate of BSA was made by coupling dodecylamine to the COOH groups of BSA (DA-BSA). Studies on the immunogenicity of this material and one made by coupling dodecanoic anhydride to NH2 groups (D-BSA) demonstrated that cell-mediated immunity could preferentially be generated by lipid conjugation to an antigen as measured by delayed skin reaction, invitro blast transformation, and antibody formation. DA-BSA was found superior by both in vivo and in vitro tests. Both the conjugates retained the ability to suppress delayed type hypersensitivity, but only DA-BSA retained the ability to elicit optimum skin reaction in a sensitized animal and to precipitate anti-BSA antibody.