Antigenic and immunogenic properties of totally synthetic peptide-based anti-fertility vaccines

In this study we describe the results of experiments in which a variety of totally synthetic luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) vaccines wer e assembled and examined for their abilities to elicit antibody responses a nd induce sterility in mice. It is shown that totally synthetic vaccines co nsisting of a 15 residue-defined T cell epitope and the 10 residue LHRH epi tope not only induced high titers of antibody but also induced sterility. T his effect did not appear to correlate with antibody titer, antibody isotyp e or comparative antibody affinity, but may be related to the length of tim e for which antibodies are present to exert their influence.