Delayed-type hypersensitivity to elastase-soluble lung peptides in the tight-skin (Tsk) mouse.
The development of immunity to homologous connective tissue antigens was studied with respect to aging in the tight-skin (Tsk) mouse mutant. A delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response to elastase-solubilized lung peptides in Tsk/+ mice, which became evident at 10 weeks of age and increased in intensity until 22 weeks, was observed. Tsk mice did not demonstrate significant DTH responses when challenged with type I or IV collagen, and normal (+/+) littermates of all ages did not respond to any of the antigens under study. DTH responses could be adoptively transferred to normal +/+ and C57BL/6 mice with spleen cells from 30-week-old Tsk/+ mice; treatment with anti-Thy 1.2 antibodies plus complement significantly reduced the ability of these Tsk/+ cells to transfer DTH reactivity. No antibody activity to the antigens under study could be detected in the sera of Tsk/+ or +/+ mice at any age. These results are discussed with regard to the pathological manifestations observed in the Tsk/+ mutant mouse.
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen / Q000276:immunology*; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D004549:Elastin / Q000276:immunology*; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D003094:Collagen; D004549:Elastin