INDUCTION OF TOLERANCE BY ADMINISTRATION OF HAPTEN-IMMUNOGLOBULIN CONJUGATES IS ASSOCIATED WITH DECREASED IL-2 AND IL-4 PRODUCTION

Intravenous administration of trinitrophenyl-modified isologous immuno globulin-induced nonresponsiveness to subsequent epicutaneous painting of sensitizing doses of trinitrochlorobenzene. Isologous immunoglobul in with various degrees of trinitrophenyl substitution (11.2, 14.3, 27 and 47.3) prevented sensitization. The suppression of contact hyperse nsitivity was dependent on the dose of tolerogen and was hapten specif ic. Tolerance was inducible in mice of the strains CBA (H-2(k)), C571B L/6 (H-2(b)), and DBA/2 (H-2(d)) but not in Balb/C (H-2(d)) mice, sugg esting that this trait maps outside the murine major histocompatibilit y complex. Tolerance induced by trinitrophenyl-modified immunoglobulin was associated with decreased hapten-induced proliferation of drainin g lymph-node cells. Unlike in other models of tolerance in which a dec reased interleukin-2 to interleukin-4 ratio can be observed, administr ation of tolerizing trinitrophenylated immunoglobulin was associated w ith deficient hapten-induced release of both interleukin-2 and interle ukin-4.