Nature of Retained Antigen and Its Role in Immune Mechanisms

Characterization of retained antigen (physical properties and biological properties) and retained antigen and antibody formation is also discussed in this chapter.

Abstract

The chapter discusses the persistence of foreign antigenic material in tissues, its chemical and biological properties, and speculations as to its role in immune mechanisms. A native antigen molecule soon changes after entering an intracellular environment. The persistence or retention of “antigen material” is important and not the original native substance that was used for immunization. Retention of antigen such as localization of antigen in normal and immune animals, retention of antigen in normal and immune animals, and retention of antigen in unresponsive animals is also provided in this chapter. It will also be seen that the retained antigen is not only a fragment of the immunizing material but that it is combined with normal tissue components such as ribonucleic acid (RNA) and under certain conditions with its specific antibody. Information related to the retention of foreign antigen material should provide a challenge to investigators of immune mechanisms. Future studies will probably revolve around investigations of chemically modified RNA in antibody-forming cells and studies of synthetic polypeptides or copolymers of various types with regard to their antigenic behavior. Characterization of retained antigen (physical properties and biological properties) and retained antigen and antibody formation is also discussed in this chapter.