Genetically controlled phagocytic activity of macrophages and MHC-restricted T-cell proliferative response correlate with the resistance against MLM infection in mice.
The immune responsiveness to MLM bacilli is investigated using secondary T-cell proliferative response to sol. MLM in B10 mice with macrophages from various B10 congenic strains of mice. The results show that T cells of B10 mice are able to respond with macrophages from B10 or B10A(5R) mice, but not with those from B10A, B10A(4R), and B10BR mice. In addition, the proliferative response to sol. MLM of B10 spleen cells was suppressed by adding an anti-I-Ab monoclonal antibody into the culture. Thus, the results indicate that the immune response to sol. MLM is restricted by I-Ab gene products. In terms of the weight of lepromas, and of the number of MLM bacilli in the spleen and liver, B10A, B10A(4R), and B10BR mice appeared to be susceptible to MLM bacilli (low responders). The macrophages obtained from the low-responder mice had a significantly lower phagocytic activity than those from high-responder mice (r = 0.967). The high-responder mice were inversely associated with the weight of lepromas (r = 0.731). These results suggest that the high phagocytic activity of B10 or B10A(5R) macrophages triggers an effective antigen presentation to helper T cells being restricted by I-Ab molecules, which could account for the immune resistance to MLM bacilli in B10 or B10A(5R) mice.
Saito
N
N
National Institute for Leprosy Research, Tokyo, Japan.
Suzuki
T
T
Natori
T
T
D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000235:genetics; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000235:genetics; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology*; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D009167:Mycobacterium lepraemurium / Q000276:immunology; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000235:genetics*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*