Split unresponsivess to trinitrophenyl (TNP) determinant.

Contact sensitization by epicutaneous application of picryl chloride causes in mice a significant reduction of the antibody responses to immunogenic TNP-conjugates. This split unresponsiveness is long-lasting. It was found that hapten applied on the skin became attached to the serum proteins and the transfer of such a serum into normal recipients, while not influencing the ability of these animals to become contact-sensitized to PC1, rendered them unable to mount the anti-TNP antibody response, Possible mechanisms of split unresponsiveness to the TNP determinant induced by PC1 treatment are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]