title: [Demonstration of antigen-specific suppressor cells in Toxoplasma infection of man].
abstract: Detection of antigenspecific suppressor cells in Toxoplasma infection of man. Investigations adapted to demonstrate the action of antigen-specific suppressor cells were carried out in subjects with acute toxoplasmosis (n = 5) and latent infections (n = 16) and compared to non-infected controls (n = 11). The investigations were carried out in vitro in the form of autologous one-way lymphocyte mixed culture. Suppressor cells were activated by toxoplasma lysate antigen (325 micrograms/ml) and, for comparison, by concanavalin A (10 micrograms/ml). Responder cells were stimulated by toxoplasma lysate antigen (200 micrograms/ml). In the acute cases, antigen-specific suppressor cells were identified which caused the lymphocyte transformation to be suppressed (tritium thymidine incorporation) to the same extent as did the mitogen-activated cells. The subjects with latent infections revealed a statistically significant difference (p less than 0.01) between the means of the percentage suppression of suppressor cells activated by toxoplasma lysate antigen or concanavalin A, suggesting a diminishing suppressive action of antigen-specific cells at this stage of infection. In addition to the effect on phagosome formation in macrophages, the activation of suppressor cells too should be considered as a factor of virulence for Toxoplasma gondii.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008297:Male; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000939:Epitopes; D003208:Concanavalin A
vernacular_title: Der Nachweis antigenspezifischer Suppressorzellen bei der Toxoplasma-Infektion des Menschen.