Cyclic kinetics and mathematical expression of the primary immune response

The kinetics of antibody-forming cells (AFC) in the spleen of rats immunized with Salmonella typhi O-antigen was investigated. The number of nucleated cells of spleen and blood serum antibody titres in passive haemagglutination were determined in parallel. Cyclic changes in the number of antibody-forming cells were detected as three peaks on the 4th, 9th, and 13th days following immunization. The fluctuations of their number were not related to the total number of nucleated cells of spleen. The antibody titres reached their peak on the 10th day following immunization, decreased by the 14th day and rose again on the 16th day after immunization. Repeated increases of the number of AFC were probably due to the regular, not accidental, recruitment of committed precursors cells (memory cells).