Open AccessPassive transfer of immunity to Mycobacterium avium in susceptible and resistant strains of mice
Author(s) -
STOKES R. W.,
COLLINS F. M.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1990.tb05299.x
Subject(s) - immunity , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , mycobacterium , biology , virology , immune system , medicine , bacteria , genetics
SUMMARY Naturally susceptible mice (C57BL/6) infected with M. avium (strain Weybridge) developed a population of splenic T cells which, on transfer to syngeneic recipient mice, conferred significant protection against a subsequent challenge inoculum of M. avium . Similar T cells from naturally resistant mice (A/J) did not protect syngeneic recipient mice. Growth of M. avium in donor mice only occurred in the C57BL/6 strain. Replication of M. avium in donor mice was necessary for the development of protective T cells. High numbers of killed mycobacterium did not induce immune T cells. In addition. A/J mice inoculated with increasing numbers of viable M. avium (which still did not replicate) failed to develop protective T lymphocytes. Further studies indicated that no protective T cells were present in the M. avium ‐infected A/J mouse, although evidence for non‐specific immunity in these mice was obtained. In addition, BCG (which grows progressively in A/J mice) stimulated a population of splenic T cells which protected recipient mice from subsequent infection with M. tuberculosis .