Treponemicidal activity of anti-treponemal lymphotoxins and their relation to circulating immune complexes and autolymphocytotoxins.
It was previously reported that spleen cells of rabbits infected with Treponema pallidum produced anti-treponemal lymphotoxins (ATL). This ability was distinctly disturbed when circulating immune complexes (CIC) and autolymphocytotoxins (AL) were present in the sera of cell donors. ATL liberated from cells of donors without CIC and AL displayed a marked ability to immobilize treponemes. The percentage of immobilized treponemes varied according to the type of cells used for ATL liberation and their density. The most active was ATL from T cells (density 4 x 10(8) ml-1) and the weakest was the one from B lymphocytes. In the presence of CIC in sera of cell donors the weakest ATL was from macrophages and in the presence of AL from T lymphocytes. When both factors (CIC and AL) were present ATL from T lymphocytes did not immobilize treponemes. This seems to suggest that the impairment of the cells' ability to produce ATL may facilitate the survival of treponemes in the host despite the presence of immunologically competent cells.
Podwińska
J
J
Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław.
Chomik
M
M
D000818:Animals; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000032:analysis*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011817:Rabbits; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000187:drug effects*
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D001323:Autoantibodies; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha