Strain difference in T-cell regulation of antibody response to polyvinylpyrrolidone.

Antibody response to polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), one of the thymus-independent antigens, was assessed by a passive hemagglutination test and a plaque-forming cell assay in three inbred mouse strains. C3H/He, AKR, and C57BL/6 mice were assigned to groups of high, intermediate, and low responders, respectively. This strain difference appears to be ascribable to the differences in the regulatory functions of T cells and in the responsiveness of B cells, as suggested by the antibody responses in mice partially or almost completely depleted of T cells. Genetic analysis of F₁ hybrids and their backcrosses suggested that at least two genes control the antibody response to PVP: One gene may regulate the responsiveness of B cells and another may govern the functions of T cells as a suppressor or an amplifier. The association between high responsiveness to PVP and an agouti coat color was suggested by a statistical analysis of the results in the backcrosses, but an association between the responsiveness and the sex of the mice was not found.