STUDIES ON THE CONTROL OF ANTIBODY SYNTHESIS : INTERACTION OF ANTIGENIC COMPETITION AND SUPPRESSION OF ANTIBODY FORMATION BY PASSIVE ANTIBODY ON THE IMMUNE RESPONSE

In the system studied, antigenic competition between two haptenic determinants was found to be of the same extent whether the haptens were on the same or on separate carrier molecules. Suppression of antibody formation to one determinant by administration of passive antibody partially eliminated the depressive effects of antigenic competition when the two haptens were located on separate carrier molecules but had no effect on antibody production to the second hapten when the two determinants were present on the same molecule. The results are discussed in terms of the mechanisms of suppression, antigenic competition, and control of antibody formation.