Time of lymphocyte response after onset of tularemia and after tularemia vaccination.
Blood lymphocytes were prepared from 6 patients at various time intervals after the onset of tularemia and from 10 subjects after vaccination against this disease. Lymphocytes were also prepared from subjects who had been vaccinated 1 and 2 years previously. The lymphocytes were incubated in the presence of membranes of the vaccine strain. Lymphocytes obtained 2 weeks or later after onset of the disease responded to the membranes with increased deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis, whereas lymphocytes obtained earlier than 2 weeks after onset did not respond. Lymphocytes of the vaccinated subjects did not respond to the membranes of the vaccine strain before vaccination. Two to 4 weeks after vaccination lymphocytes from six of the vaccinees yielded a high response, and this response was consistently high for several months. Lymphocytes from four of the vaccinated individuals responded to a low extent only, and this was consistently low for several months. Lymphocytes from individuals vaccinated 1 year before testing responded to a similar extent to the membranes, as did lymphocytes from those who had been vaccinated 1 month previously. Lymphocytes from individuals vaccinated 2 years previously, however, showed a diminished response to the membranes. There was no correlation between titer of agglutinating antibodies and magnitude of lymphocyte reactivity.
D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D005604:Francisella tularensis / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D013997:Time Factors; D014406:Tularemia / Q000276:immunology*; D014611:Vaccination
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines