title: Lymphocyte proliferative response in vitro and its cellular dependency in guinea-pigs with experimental allergic orchitis.
abstract: The development of cellular hypersensitivity was measured by the proliferative response of lymph node cells in vitro and a skin test to partly purified testicular antigen. There was a slight stimulation of lymph node cells and of the delayed cutaneous response at 1-2 weeks after sensitization with testicular antigen in Freund's complete adjuvant and then, after a decline in response, there was a pronounced peak at 6 weeks after sensitizaton. The early response coincided with the onset and active inflammatory stage of the effect on the testis, while the major peak was consistent with a state of aspermatogenesis. The proliferative response of unseparated lymph node cells could not be attributed to the function of T or B cells acting alone, although at 6 weeks after sensitization B-cell populations did become slightly responsive to antigen. The response of T lymphocytes was enhanced by the presence of B lymphocytes or peritoneal macrophages at 2 and 6 weeks after sensitization, but B cells did not appear to interact with macrophages. We conclude that T cells are essential to the proliferative response of lymph node cells during the induction of experimental allergic orchitis in guinea-pigs.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002455:Cell Division; D004822:Epididymis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D009920:Orchitis / Q000276:immunology*; D012397:Rosette Formation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013737:Testis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens