title: Passive transfer of immunity of Mycobacterium avium in susceptible and resistant strains of mice.
abstract: Naturally susceptible mice (C57BL/6) infected with M. avium (strain Weybridge) developed a population of splenic T cells which, on transfer to syngeneic recipient mice, conferred significant protection against a subsequent challenge inoculum of M. avium. Similar T cells from naturally resistant mice (A/J) did not protect syngeneic recipient mice. Growth of M. avium in donor mice only occurred in the C57BL/6 strain. Replication of M. avium in donor mice was necessary for the development of protective T cells. High numbers of killed mycobacterium did not induce immune T cells. In addition, A/J mice inoculated with increasing numbers of viable M. avium (which still did not replicate) failed to develop protective T lymphocytes. Further studies indicated that no protective T cells were present in the M. avium-infected A/J mouse, although evidence for non-specific immunity in these mice was obtained. In addition, BCG (which grows progressively in A/J mice) stimulated a population of splenic T cells which protected recipient mice from subsequent infection with M. tuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: Trudeau Institute, Saranac Lake, NY.
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Stokes
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Collins
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003429:Cross Reactions; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D051379:Mice; D008805:Mice, Inbred A / Q000276:immunology; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL / Q000276:immunology; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains / Q000276:immunology; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000276:immunology; D009162:Mycobacterium avium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000382:microbiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology