title: Maturation of the delayed-type hypersensitivity response in SJL mice: absence of effector cell induction.
abstract: Immunization of young adult SJL mice (6 weeks of age) with a wide variety of particulate and soluble antigens does not elicit a delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response. Young adult SJL lack a DTM response through 8 weeks of age but attain the mature adult level of responsiveness at 10 weeks of age. Nylon wool-enriched TDTH effectors and an antigen-specific T cell clone both elicited DTH responses when transferred into 6-week-old SJL. Thus, the cascade of events at the local site appears to be functionally intact in 6-week-old SJL. However, T cells from immunized 6-week-old SJL fail to transfer DTH responsiveness to naive 6-week-old SJL recipients unless macrophages from 12-week-old SJL supplemented the immunization. Thus, the unresponsiveness of 6-week-old SJL appears to be due to a lack of induction of TDTH effectors. In addition, SJL mice immunized at 6 weeks of age and challenged with antigen at the DTH responsive age of 12 weeks did not mount a DTH response. Immunized 6-week-old SJL, supplemented with macrophages from 12-week-old SJL, and 12-week-old SJL did respond to a second antigenic challenge when held for an equivalent 6-week period. Thus, 6-week-old SJL fail to induce TDTH effectors and to generate memory TDTH cells. Finally, antigen-pulsed macrophages from 12-week-old SJL transferred DTH responsiveness into naive 6-week and 12-week-old SJL recipients, while antigen-pulsed cells from 6-week donors were unable to transfer DTH responsiveness. These data indicate that the maturational deficit in the DTH responsiveness of 6-week-old SJL resides in the inability of macrophages to induce TDTH effectors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles 90033.
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Matsushima
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Stohlman
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*