The effect of immunological adjuvants on the relative affinity of anti-protein antibodies.

Inbred mice of a strain (B1OD2 new) known to produce either no detectable antibody or antibody of low affinity to two protein antigens administered in saline, were immunized with human serum transferrin (HST) in one of nine adjuvants. Such immunization increases the level and relative affinity of anti-HST antibody. The adjuvants used varied in the degree to which they augmented these parameters of the antibody response--that is, FCA and FIA were capable of inducing high levels of high affinity antibody, whereas other adjuvants elicited lower levels of high affinity antibody. The possibility is discussed that substances with adjuvant activity may effect antibody production at two stages: (1) at the stage of antigen selection of cells for proliferation and (2) at the stage or proliferation of antibody producing cell precursors.