Adoptive transfer of immunity to Plasmodium berghei with immune T and B lymphocytes

Abstract

This study investigated which lymphocyte type is responsible for the adoptive transfer of immunity to malarial infection [in rats]. In 1 set of experiments, the ability of immune T [thymus-derived] and B [bone marrow-derived] lymphocytes, separated by passage through nylon-wool columns, to transfer immunity to infection was determined. In another experiment, the effect of killing T lymphocytes with anti-.theta. serum on the transfer of immunity was determined. The effect on the ability of immune lymphocyte suspensions to transfer immunity after B lymphocytes were removed from such suspensions by centrifugation on Ficoll-Hypaque gradients, after they had formed rosettes with sensitized, complement-coated sheep erythrocytes, was also determined. The ability of lymphocyte suspensions to adoptively transfer resistance to malarial infection was greatly impaired by the removal from the suspensions of differentiated B-type lymphocytes. The differentiated B cell, most probably an antibody-producing cell which lacks .theta. antigen and the complement receptor, is responsible for conferring immunity to malaria.