PROFOUND IMMUNOLOGICAL-TOLERANCE IN THE ANTIBODY-RESPONSE AGAINST BOVINE ALPHA(S1)-CASEIN INDUCED BY INTRADERMAL ADMINISTRATION OF A DOMINANT T-CELL DETERMINANT

Immunological tolerance induced by intradermal administration of a pep tide from a major milk protein antigen, alpha(s1)-casein, was investig ated. When the peptide corresponding to amino acid residues 91-110 of alpha(s1)-casein, which included the dominant T cell determinant, was administered intradermally to mice which were subsequently immunized w ith alpha(s1)-casein, immunological tolerance in T cell response again st alpha(s1)-casein was induced. Furthermore, intradermal administrati on of P91-110 induced profound immunological tolerance in the antibody response against native whole protein alpha(s1)-casein. The anti-alph a(s1)-casein antibody responses of IgG2a and IgG2b (the subclasses ind uced by Th1) and of IgG1 (the subclass induced by Th2) were all greatl y suppressed by injecting P91-110 or alpha(s1)-casein. Our study is th e first to demonstrate that intradermal administration of a dominant T cell determinant induces profound immunological tolerance in the anti body response against the native protein antigen. (C) 1995 Academic Pr ess, Inc.