title: Regulation of contact sensitivity to DNFB in the mouse: effects of adult thymectomy and thymic factor.
abstract: The contact sensitivity response to DNFB is decreased after adult thymectomy (ATX). This response decreases to 50% of the control response of normal age-matched mice as soon as 3 weeks after ATX and is not further depressed 9 to 16 weeks after ATX. These results suggest that two T cell subsets of different lifespan are involved in the anti-DNFB response. A circulating thymic factor (FTS) is able to restore the contact sensitivity response to DNFB when injected 3 to 9 weeks after ATX but not 16 weeks later. By contrast, FTS has a depressive effect on the contact sensitivity response to DNFB of normal mice through a cyclophosphamide-sensitive T cell subset. These results suggest that FTS regulates DNFB contact sensitivity by acting on a cyclophosphamide-sensitive T cell subset, still present 9 weeks after ATX but absent after 16 weeks. Thus although the T cell defect, causing a depression of the contact sensitivity reaction to DNFB is quantitatively similar 3 and 16 weeks after ATX, its nature is probably different.
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D003877:Dermatitis, Contact / Q000139:chemically induced*; D004136:Dinitrobenzenes / Q000276:immunology; D004139:Dinitrofluorobenzene / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D009578:Nitrobenzenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013934:Thymectomy; D013935:Thymic Factor, Circulating / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013951:Thymus Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004136:Dinitrobenzenes; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D009578:Nitrobenzenes; D013951:Thymus Hormones; D013935:Thymic Factor, Circulating; D004139:Dinitrofluorobenzene