Maturation of the lymphoid system. II. Characterization of the cellular levels of unresponsiveness induced in neonates by a T-dependent antigen that is an obligate immunogen in adults.

It has previously shown that AHGG, a form of HGG that is highly immunogenic in euthymic adult mice, is capable of inducing specific unresponsiveness when injected into neonatal animals. This report extends this finding and indicates that such a neonatal treatment results in the induction of tolerance in T as well as B cells. Furthermore, a similar conclusion was reached regarding specific T lymphocyte function in animals treated as neonates with OVA. The ability of LPS to modulate responses of neonatal animals to AHGG or DHGG was also examined. It appeared that such mice were not susceptible to the adjuvant effects of LPS until the 4th week of life. Furthermore, LPS was incapable of inhibiting the unresponsiveness induced in mice by either DHGG or AHGG until the 3rd or 4th week of life.