SERUM TABM PRODUCED DURING ANTERIOR CHAMBER-ASSOCIATED IMMUNE DEVIATION PASSIVELY TRANSFERS SUPPRESSION OF DELAYED-TYPE HYPERSENSITIVITY TOPRIMED MICE

Injection of soluble protein antigen into the anterior chamber of the eye of primed mice induces anterior chamber-associated immune deviatio n (ACAID) which is manifested by suppression of delayed-type hypersens itivity (DTH) to the antigen, Recently, we found that ACAID induced in primed mice also results in a rapid rise in serum of soluble T lympho cyte-derived proteins specific for nominal antigen (TABM), Here, we de monstrate that serum TABM induced in primed mice during ACAID will tra nsfer the suppression of DTH to mice primed to the same antigen, Sera from TNP-BSA-primed mice that received an anterior chamber injection o f TNP-BSA, but not BSA alone, suppressed the DTH response to TNP when injected into other TNP-BSA-primed mice. Sera absorbed with Sepharose beads conjugated with either anti-TCR C-alpha, anti-TCR C-beta, anti-T ABM or TNP-BSA did not contain TNP-specific TABM and did not transfer suppression of DTH, These results suggest that the antigen-specific, T CR C-alpha beta(+) TABM that appear in serum during ACAID are able to confer on or amplify the capacity of sensitized T cells to suppress DT H, We believe this to be the first demonstration of an in vivo immunol ogic function that is specifically associated with TABM produced in vi vo.