Failure of athymic-nude mice sensitized with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin to produce interferon in response to purified protein derivative.
Unlike their +/+ and nu/+ littermates, homozygous athymic-nude (nu/nu) mice that had been sensitized with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) failed to produce interferon (IFN) in response to purified protein derivative (PPD). Likewise, spleen cells derived from BCG-sensitized nu/nu mice failed to produce IFN when exposed to PPD in vitro. These findings suggest that the T-cell subset that responds to specific antigens (i.e., PPD) is absent in athymic-nude mice.
D000818:Animals; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008934:Mitogens; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014373:Tuberculin / Q000276:immunology*
D008934:Mitogens; D014373:Tuberculin; D007371:Interferon-gamma