T-cell responsiveness in Mycobacterium lepraemurium infections in a "resistant" (CBA) and a "susceptible" (BALB/c) mouse strain.
Antigen-specific and mitogen-nonspecific T-lymphocyte proliferation and lymphokine release (interleukin 2 and macrophage activation factor) were studied in BALB/c and CBA mice infected intravenously with 10(8) Mycobacterium lepraemurium organisms. The responsiveness of spleen cells from infected animals to Con A and specific MLM antigen declined as the infection progressed. Thus, the decreased responsiveness appeared earlier and was more profound in the relatively susceptible BALB/c strain than in the relatively resistant CBA strain. Nylon-wool-purified, T-cell-enriched spleen cells from both strains, however, responded to both M. lepraemurium antigen and Con A until the later stages of infection (17 weeks postinfection). The relevance of nonspecific immunodepression mediated by nylon-wool-adherent spleen cells to the progressive nature of this infection is discussed.
D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000276:immunology; D016215:Macrophage-Activating Factors; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C / Q000276:immunology*; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA / Q000276:immunology*; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D009167:Mycobacterium lepraemurium; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D007376:Interleukin-2; D008222:Lymphokines; D016215:Macrophage-Activating Factors; D003208:Concanavalin A